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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5.4 DISCUSSION<br />
In vitro culture initiation and multiplication<br />
Preliminary experiments with R. diversiformis, R. flava, R. leipoldtii and R. minutiflora<br />
seedlings showed that hypocotyls were the only seedling organs that gave an in vitro<br />
response for the Romulea species tested. They also show that R. leipoldtii and R.<br />
flava form the highest number <strong>of</strong> shoots per seedling hypocotyl compared to the<br />
other species tested. Because <strong>of</strong> possible vitrification and culture incompetence, the<br />
use <strong>of</strong> BA and shoots generated from callus should be avoided for this genus.<br />
The in vitro response <strong>of</strong> R. diversiformis embryos and hypocotyls, although<br />
morphologically distinct, is equally unproductive, as no shoots were formed after 2<br />
months. A higher concentration <strong>of</strong> cytokinins, or different cytokinins, is perhaps<br />
needed to generate a more pronounced shooting response for explants <strong>of</strong> this<br />
species.<br />
The rooting <strong>of</strong> shoots formed in vitro <strong>of</strong> all species, except R. diversiformis and R.<br />
monadelpha was inhibited to a certain degree by a medium supplemented with 23.2<br />
M kinetin. Experiments performed with the aim <strong>of</strong> finding a concentration <strong>of</strong> kinetin<br />
high enough to induce shooting, but low enough to allow for normal root growth, is<br />
necessary for the efficient production <strong>of</strong> healthy shoots <strong>of</strong> these species. Such an<br />
experiment should investigate the effect <strong>of</strong> various kinetin concentrations between<br />
7.5 and 23.2 µM.<br />
Although R. leipoldtii embryos produced significantly more shoots on a medium with<br />
23.2 µM mTR and 0.5 µM NAA, this medium and a medium supplemented with 2.3<br />
µM mTR and 0.5 µM NAA resulted in a higher percentage <strong>of</strong> cultures with callus. This<br />
indicates that although these are the best media for culture initiation, they are not<br />
suitable for multiplication <strong>of</strong> shoots <strong>of</strong> R. leipoldtii. Shoots produced from this callus<br />
were vitrified.<br />
The fact that there is no significant difference between the number <strong>of</strong> shoots<br />
produced by embryos and hypocotyls <strong>of</strong> R. leipoldtii suggests that excising the<br />
embryos <strong>of</strong> even the smallest seeds <strong>of</strong> all species presented here, except for R.<br />
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