EFFECT OF PLANT GROWTH REGULATORS AND ORGANIC COMPOUNDS ON SHOOT INDUCTION AND ALLEVIATION SHOOT TIP NECROSIS OF STRAWBERRY (FRAGARIA X ANANASSA) IN VITRO

Abstract

Strawberries can be propagated through plant tissue culture, which is an effective technique for producing disease-free plantlets in large quantities. However, shoot tip necrosis is often encountered during the multiplication stage. This study aimed to investigate the effects of plant growth regulators, macronutrient and micronutrient concentrations and types of organic compounds on shoot induction and the reduction of shoot tip necrosis (STN) in Fragaria × ananassa cv. 'Pharachatan 80'. Shoot tips were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium (1962) supplemented with 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 mg/L of benzyl adenine (BA) for four weeks. It was found that MS medium containing 3 mg/L BA effectively induced shoot proliferation, with a STN rate of 40%. Doubling the concentrations of stock solutions 1 and 2 in combination with 3 mg/L BA further enhanced shoot induction, but maintained the same  STN rate (40%). Interestingly, supplementing MS medium containing 3 mg/L BA with 10% coconut water significantly promoted shoot development and reduced STN to 20%. These findings suggest that coconut water can effectively alleviate shoot tip necrosis in in vitro strawberry culture. The results provide a practical approach for improving the efficiency of strawberry micropropagation by reducing the occurrence of shoot tip necrosis, thereby contributing to the development of effective protocols for commercial propagation.