Callus Formation and Plant Regeneration from Etiolated Stem of Taro(Colocasia esculenta Schott)

Abstract

Etiolated taro (Colocasia esculenta Schott) stem cultured under dark were used to study callus formation and plant regeneration. Aseptic plantlets derived from shoot apices of 'Eguimo', Ishikawa-wase' and Tatsugashira' corms were used as explants.
1. Etiolated stems were obtained by culturing them under dark condition on MS medium supplemented with 0.2 mg•liter^-1 NAA (Table 1) ; their elongation was not promoted by a supplement of 1.0 mg•liter^-1 of GAliter₃.
2. The longest stem was obtained from Ishikawa-wase', followed by that of 'Eguimo' and then 'Yatsugashira' (Table 2).
3. Friable callus was obtained from etiolated stem segments on MS medium supplemented with 2 mg•liter^-1 2, 4-D and 2ip (Table 3), whereas protocorm-like structure developed on a medium containing 0.2 to 2.0 mg•liter^-1 NAA plus 2 mg•liter^-1 BA or 2ip.
4. Shoots were regenerated from a protocorm-like structure by transferring to MS medium (Table 4) or from callus by subculturing them on MS medium containing 2 mg•liter^-1 BA (Table 5). These shoots formed roots after being transferred to a basal MS medium.