Vol. 12, Issue 3 (2023)

Author(s):
K Uma Maheswari, M Rajasekhar, DV Swamy, P Sudhakar and DR Salomi Suneetha

Abstract:
The present study experiments were carried out to develop reliable protocols for producing healthy and well-formed plants from nodal explants of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) cv ‘Bhagwa’. In standardization of the process for controlling polyphenol exudation from explants during callus formation using antioxidants, MS medium + ascorbic acid 100 mg/l + activated charcoal 200 mg/l + silver nitrate 0.6 mg/l was the best media with less polyphenol exudation (74.86 per cent), lowest microbial contamination (3.33 per cent) and highest survival percentage of explants (90.00 per cent). It was observed and concluded that MS media when supplemented with ADS 15mg/l + NAA 2.0 mg/l + BAP 2.0 mg/l had given maximum shoot proliferation (59.99 per cent), number of shoots (0.99), number of leaves (2.88) along with highest number of nodes (1.43) and intermodal length (0.68 cm). Among auxins used for rooting it was observed and concluded that when MS media supplemented with IBA 0.6 mg/l had given maximum number of roots developed per shoot (0.53), per cent of shoots giving roots (91.65) and number of new leaves (4.49). Among all potting mixture tested, it was observed that maximum survival (83.33 per cent) of plants from nodal explants were found on medium containing red soil: cocopeat: vermicompost (1:2:1).