The Effect of 6-Benzylaminopurine on In vitro Shoot Multiplication from Shoot and Lateral Bud Explants of Watercress (Nasturtium officinale R. Br.)

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BAP) on In vitro shoot, leaf, root and shoot length multiplication from shoot and lateral bud explants of watercress (Nasturtium officinale R. Br.) The explants had been cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) supplemented with 6-BAP in different concentrations (0, 1, 2 and 3 mg/l). The surface sterilization technique had been employed in the experiment. First, the shoot and lateral bud explants, which were pulled down without being taken apart from the stem, were sterilized by soaking in 70% (v/v) ethyl alcohol for one minute. Next, the shoots were cut and soaked in 2.5% (v/v) sodium hypochlorite for ten minutes, and cleaned for three times by sterilized water. After that, they were cultivated on MS medium for ten weeks in order to produce the sample plants. Then the sample shoots were cut and grown on MS medium of 6-BAP with different concentrations for four weeks. For In vitro shoot culture, it was found that the watercress propagation with 2 mg/l of 6-BAP increased the most average number of shoots (7.50±1.18 shoots/explant), of leaves (29.40±2.46 leaves/explant) and the average length of shoots (0.87±0.29 cm.).However, no root was detected. Regarding In vitro lateral bud culture, it was shown that the watercress propagation with 2 mg/l of 6-BAP induced the highest average number of shoots (5.60±0.97 shoots per explant), leaves (25.10±0.88 leaves per explant), with length (0.92±0.51 cm.) and roots growth rate at (0.60±0.52 roots per explant).