Micropropagation of Elite Cultivars of Rose-scented Geranium (<i>Pelargonium</i> <i>graveolens </i>L' Herit.) for Industrial Production of Propagules

Abstract

Experiments were carried out to develop an efficient micropropagation procedure to produce rooted plantlets from stem and leaf explants of the elite cultivars of rose-scented geranium, <i>Pelargonium graveolens. </i>A set of 8 Murashige and Skoog (MS) salts based media were evaluated for eliciting adventitious shoot regeneration response from stem and leaf explants of three cultivars namely 'Hemanti', 'Bipuli' and 'Kunti'. Stem and leaf explants without callus intervention produced 20 or more shoots in about 4 weeks. The directly regenerated shoot mass upon separation underwent good level of rooting on half strength MS medium. Plantlets thus obtained were planted in the field along with their vegetatively propagated control plants. <i>In vitro </i>raised plants were morphologically identical to control. Genetic fidelity of regenerants was further confirmed by gas chromatography of essential oil from aerial parts. Thus, an efficient procedure has become available for the multiplication of elite plant material of <i>P. graveolens</i> required for the intensive cropping in semi-temperate to tropical agro-climates of Indian hills and plains.