Effect of Cytokinin Type and pH Level on Regeneration of Ginger in vitro

Ginger is unfertile species that usually failed to set seed. Cultivation of this plant using its economic part (rhizomes) is an unprofitable method, which negatively affects its supply in the market. Therefore, this study aimed to maintain the local Yemeni ginger variety, and facilitate its propagation by tissue culture technique, using fresh rhizome buds in a semi-rigid culture medium. To do so, two experiments were carried out, the first one was based on completely randomized block design with four replicates to determine the optimum pH levels (including 5.6, 5.8, 6.0) for the shoot and root formation. The result showed that the 5.8 is the optimum pH level of the medium. Second experiment was designed as two factors, type of cytokinin [6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and Kiniten (Kin) (N6- furfuryladenine)] and ii) Cytokinin concentrations (0, 1, 2 and 3 mg L-1). The MS basal medium supplemented with above types and concentration of cytokinin with 1.0 mg L-1 IBA and 3% sucrose (BAP and Kinetin) The explants cultured on Murashige and Skoog’s (MS) medium supplemented with cytokinin with four replicates. The result showed that the explants cultured on MS basal medium supplemented with 2.0 mg L-1 Kin + 1.0 mg L-1 IBA give the highest rate of shoot multiplication, shoot length and root number. In conclusion, the result obtained from this study might help to manage the propagation of ginger.