International Journal of Horticulture and Food Science
2020, Vol. 2, Issue 1, Part A
Standardization of ex-vitro media composition for hardening and acclimatization of ex- agar pomegranate plants
K Uma Maheswari, M Rajasekhar, DV Swamy, P Sudhakar and DR Salomi Suneetha
In the present study experiments were carried out to standardize ex-vitro media composition for hardening, acclimatization and better growth of pomegranate tissue culture ex-agar plants developed from nodal explants of var.Bhagwa. The in-vitro produced plantlets were washed with running tap water to remove the agar sticking to the roots. The ex-agar plantlets were carefully transferred to the pots containing sterilized cocopeat. Inside the shade house, the pro-trays were kept inside the poly tunnels and the poly tunnels are completely closed to avoid entry of air from outside and to maintain required humidity for the establishment of rooted plantlets. After 25 days of the planting in portrays, the plantlets are acclimatized under the shade house and ready for secondary hardening. Thirty primary hardened plantlets were planted in one in each poly bag, which contain potting mixture as per treatment. Ten poly bags were considered as one replication. All these poly bags were kept under the shade house and are watered daily in the morning hours. The survival percentage of plantlets was recorded 30 days after transplanting into the pots. The plants which were survived, established and started to grow were taken into consideration for calculating the percent survival. Among the treatments, highest number of newly formed leaves (21.69) were recorded by cocopeat: vermiculite: vermicompost (1:1:1) (T4) followed by cocopeat: vermiculite: vermicompost (2:1:1) (T6) (18.23), while lowest number of newly formed leaves were observed in red soil: vermicompost (1:1) (T1) (7.43). Among the days, number of newly formed leaves was more at 30th day (19.60) than on 20th day (8.40). Newly formed leaves at 20th day and 30th day recorded that highest number of newly formed leaves (31.33) was recorded by cocopeat: vermiculite: vermicompost (1:1:1) (T4) on 30th day followed by cocopeat: vermiculite: vermicompost (2:1:1) (T6) (29.96) on 30th day, whereas, lowest number of newly formed leaves were observed in red soil: vermicompost (1:1) (T1) (5.10) at 20th day. 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).
K Uma Maheswari, M Rajasekhar, DV Swamy, P Sudhakar, DR Salomi Suneetha. Standardization of ex-vitro media composition for hardening and acclimatization of ex- agar pomegranate plants. Int J Hortic Food Sci 2020;2(1):67-73. DOI: 10.33545/26631067.2020.v2.i1a.173