Rapid clonal multiplication through in vitro axillary shoot proliferation of Aegle marmelos (L.) Corr., a medicinal tree.

Rapid clonal multiplication of Aegle marmelos (L.) Corr. (Rutaceae), a medicinal tree, was achieved by enhanced axillary bud proliferation in young single-node segments of a 25-year-old tree cultured in Murashige and Skoog (MS) nutrient medium. Bud break was dependent on cytokinin supply, but the synergistic combination of 2.5 mg l 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and 1.0 mg l indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) induced the formation of 12.1 shoots of up to 5.2 cm length in 48% of the explants after 7 weeks of culture. Explants of in-vitro-grown shoots - node, whole leaf, shoot tip and internode - were subcultured in the presence of 0.05-2.5 mg l BAP to produce 11.3, 18.4, 5.3 and 3.2 shoots and shoot buds at a 100%, 70%, 95% and 40% rate respectively, in 7 weeks. Different shoot nodes and leaves were equally regenerative and adventitious organogenesis in the latter was confined to cut petiolar ends. Nodal explants responded most favourably at low BAP (0.05-0.1 mg l) and produced uniform (3.8-5.3 cm) shoots facilitating their simultaneous harvest for rooting. Repeated subculturing through five cycles of nodes and leaves of shoot cultures enabled continuous production of healthy callus-free shoots without any sign of decline. Shoot cuttings (3.0-5.2 cm) were best rooted in half-strength MS medium with 0.5 mg l IAA (70%) or 10.0 mg l indole-3-butyric acid (90%). Eighty-eight percent of the rooted plants were established in polybags after hardening.