Improved in vitro propagation of Curcuma caesia, a valuable medicinal plant

Curcuma caesia is a perennial herb with high economic importance owing to its putative medicinal properties. An efficient protocol for the micropropagation of C. caesia followed by successful acclimatization to soil was developed. Sterilised rhizome buds were cultured on Murashige and Skoog’s (MS) medium supplemented with or without BAP (5 mg/litre). The optimum length of rhizomes to produce microshoots at initial stage cultured on medium supplemented with 5 mg/litre BAP was more than 2 cm. For microshoot propagation, explants were cultured on medium supplemented with different concentrations and combinations of BAP (6-benzyl-amino-purine) and NAA (α-naphthalene acetic acid). Explants cultured on MS basal medium supplemented with 3 mg/litre BAP showed highest proliferation rate (95%) while average number of microshoots produced was 9.5. In vitro microshoots that were subcultured on full salt strength of MS media supplemented with 3 mg/litre BAP and 0.5 mg/litre NAA performed better in terms of the number of shoots produced as well as rooting. Rooted shoots transplanted in the glasshouse for hardening showed 95% survival rate