IN VITRO PROPAGATION OF PHILODENDRON ERUBESCENS 'WHITE PRINCESS’ AND PHILODENDRON VERRUCOSUM L. MATHIEU EX SCHOTT BY TEMPORARY IMMERSION BIOREACTOR SYSTEM (TIBS)

Abstract

This study aims to propagate Philodendron erubescens 'White Princess’ and P. verrucosum using a Temporary Immersion Bioreactor System; TIBs. The experiment was designed using a Completely Randomized Design; CRD, and sterile young shoot explants of both cultivars were cultured in Murashige and Skoog (MS) liquid medium supplemented with 0, 1, and 2 mg/l
6-Benzyladenine (BA) was investigated. Feeding was conducted every 6 hours for 5 minutes, compared to a control group cultured in semi-solid MS medium without plant growth regulators over 8 weeks. It was found that a higher percentage of survival and shoot formation of P. erubescens 'White Princess’ cultured in the TIBs system was observed in all liquid media formulations than the control. The highest average number of shoots (3.10 per explant), and shoot height (5.50 mm) was found in the liquid MS medium without growth regulators in the TIBs. Furthermore, the highest average number of leaves (4.20 leaves) and roots (1.60 roots) could be obtained when young shoots of P. verrucosum were cultured in the TIB system with liquid media supplemented with 1 mg/l BA whereas the longest shoot length (16.20 mm) was received on the medium added with 2 mg/l BA. Plantlets of both species were transplanted into externally acclimatized in the greenhouse using three different planting materials: peat moss, a peat moss-perlite mix (4 : 1), and a peat moss-vermiculite mix (4 : 1) for 4 weeks. The results indicated that Both plantlet species exhibited a 100% of survival rate. However, the highest average plant height of both species was found when a mixture of peat moss-perlite (4 : 1) was used as planting material. The results of this study can be applied to the propagation of other species in the Philodendron genus to produce large quantities in a short period, providing commercial benefits.