Effect of 6-benzylaminopurine on Shoot Multiplication of Gac Fruit (Momordica cochinchinensis (Lour.) Spreng.) by Tissue Culture

Abstract

This research aimed to study the effect of suitable concentrations of 6-BAP on the induction of shoot multiplication in Gac fruit seed tissue culture. Gac fruit seeds were sterilized by soaking in 70% ethyl alcohol for 1 min and then soaked in 2.5% sodium hypochlorite solution for 10 min. The seeds were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (1962) medium without added 6-BAP for 8 weeks to study the germination percentage and shoot number. The resulting shoots were then cultured on MS medium supplemented without 6-BAP for 8 weeks. The shoots with uniform size and vigor were selected and transferred to MS medium supplemented with 6-BAP at concentrations of 0, 1, 2 and 3 mg/L to study the changes in shoot number, leaf number, shoot length and root formation. From the results, it was found that the cultivation of Gac fruit seeds on MS medium supplemented with 6-BAP at concentrations of 1 and 2 mg/L could induce the highest germination, which was 100 percent. In addition, it was found that they could induce the highest shoot formation, which was 3.00 ± 0.82 and 3.10 ± 0.91 shoots per seed, respectively. The cultivation of the Gac fruit shoots from tissue culture on MS medium supplemented with 1 mg/L 6-BAP was able to induce the highest average number of shoots (12.60 ± 1.83 shoots), the highest average number of leaves (46.20 ± 1.69 leaves per plant group). In addition, the highest average shoot length and number of roots were 3.74 ± 1.76 cm and 0.40 ± 0.84 roots per shoot, respectively. However the length of the shoot and the number of roots were not significantly different statistically. This research can be basic information to be used as a guideline for propagation of Gac fruit by tissue culture method.