View/Open - ResearchSpace - University of KwaZulu-Natal
View/Open - ResearchSpace - University of KwaZulu-Natal
View/Open - ResearchSpace - University of KwaZulu-Natal
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In vitro culture initiation and multiplication<br />
R. flava and R. leipoldtii produced callus with shoot initials on the media treatments<br />
with the highest concentrations <strong>of</strong> both cytokinins and auxins. These shoot initials<br />
and the shoots formed after one month from them, when transferred MS media with<br />
no plant growth regulators, also appeared vitrified and no roots or root initials were<br />
observed after 2 months.<br />
5.3.2 Explants from embryos<br />
R. diversiformis embryos only showed swelling, except for one embryo which only<br />
developed one rooted shoot (Figure 5.2).<br />
R. flava embryos produced significantly more shoots when placed on a medium<br />
supplemented with either 2.3 µM kinetin or 4.7 µM kinetin compared to the control<br />
(Figure 5.3). The number <strong>of</strong> R. flava shoots observed on a medium with 4.7 µM<br />
kinetin was significantly higher than the number <strong>of</strong> shoots produced by all other<br />
treatments except on a medium supplemented with 2.3 µM kinetin. Single non-rooted<br />
shoots and swellings were observed on a medium with no plant growth regulators.<br />
Non-rooted shoots, rooted shoot clusters and swelling were observed on a medium<br />
supplemented with 2.3 µM kinetin. Only one <strong>of</strong> the shoot clusters on this medium did<br />
not produce a root, this shoot cluster had callus at its base. Non-rooted shoots,<br />
rooted and non-rooted shoot clusters and callus were produced on a medium<br />
supplemented with 4.7 µM kinetin. Shoot clusters and callus was observed on media<br />
supplemented with 23.2 µM kinetin. All but one <strong>of</strong> the shoot clusters formed on media<br />
supplemented with 23.2 µM kinetin did not root (Data not shown). Shoots generated<br />
from callus appeared vitrified and they also did not root on MS media with no plant<br />
growth regulators.<br />
The number <strong>of</strong> shoots <strong>of</strong> R. minutiflora and R. monadelpha produced on media<br />
supplemented with kinetin was much lower than the number <strong>of</strong> shoots produced by<br />
R. flava embryos and is not significantly different from the number <strong>of</strong> shoots<br />
produced on a medium with no plant growth regulators (Figures 5.4 and 5.5). Table<br />
4.5 in Chapter 4 shows that most <strong>of</strong> the embryos <strong>of</strong> these species show an in vitro<br />
growth response. In all cases where shoots were not formed, only swelling <strong>of</strong> the<br />
embryo was observed for these two species. One swollen embryo <strong>of</strong> R. minutiflora<br />
rooted on a medium with no plant growth regulators. Single shoots and one small<br />
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