EFFECTS OF VARYING CONCENTRATIONS OF PLANT GROWTH REGULATORS ON THE IN VITRO PROPAGATION OF AMARANTHUS (AMARANTHUS TRICOLOR L.)

Abstract

Amaranthus is an important vegetable crop that belongs to the family Amaranthaceae. An experiment was carried out to study the effects of varying concentrations of Plant Growth Regulators (PGRs) on the in vitro propagation of amaranthus seed using seed explants. The seeds were cultured in vitro on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal media containing different concentrations (0.1mg/L to 0.2mg/L) of auxin (NAA) gibberellin (GA3) and cytokinin (BAP). Early germination was observed in media treated with NAA 0.02mg/L. Best vigor was recorded in media treated with 0.20mg/L BAP treatment. All media has same number of leaves with the exception of 0.2mg/LNAA treatment. Highest root length was observed in media treated with 0.15 mg/L GA3 and 0.2mg/l GA3 and NAA. Highest shoot length was recorded in media treated with 0.15 mg/L GA3. Results of Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) indicated significant differences among the treatments compared with the control (p < 0.05). The protocol developed in this study is suitable for large scale seedling formation, biomass production and obtaining uniform materials for various in vitro studies for the improvement of amaranthus.