2005 Volume 4 Issue 4 Pages 397-400
By sowing protocorms of Habenaria radiata after they were gel covered and inoculated with orchid mycorrhizal fungi for some period, some enhancements were observed in the survival rate of protocorms and the rate of tuber formation by plants potted in non-sterilized soil. The suitable period for culturing protocorms from inoculation to sowing could be considered to have increased from 14 days to 42 days. The gel covered and fungi-inoculated protocorms were sown in habitat 28 days after the inoculation. As a result, 98 days after sowing, growth of the inoculated protocorms was recognized, but there was no apparent growth of non-inoculated protocorms. The survival rate of the protocorms sown was 46.1%, and the rate of tuber formation was 53.0%. From these results, the present method could be expected to be effective in the propagation of H. radiata in habitat. However, the tubers formed were very small. Further investigations are required to confirm the growth of plants sprouted from these small tubers in the next year.
