Abstract

SHOOT RECLAMATION OF CHAYOTE FROM NODES THROUGH MICROPROPAGATION

S. Sweetly*, R. Vijaya Rani Asha and N. G. Ramesh Babu

ABSTRACT

Sechium edule commonly called Chayote, is known for its fruits young leaves, shoots, stems and tuberous roots around the world. Chayote has great economic significance. In order to avoid the heterogeneity due to genetic diversity (as the seeds are recalcitrant and thus cannot be stored), micropropagation becomes the basic tool to produce innumerable identical clones, thus retrieving the homogeneity. Hence, chayote has been chosen to provide high yield of micropropagation productivity. In this study, nodes and seeds were taken. The rate of mortality and the rate of shoot generation were monitored. The observations of shoot regeneration by nodal explant and shoot tip explant were recorded. Several combinations with the auxins and cytokines were trialed. The best bud break was obtained at 74% sodium hypochlorite with less rate of contamination when compared to other trials. On the other hand, the shoot length and number of shoots were observed to be the highest using IAA and BAP combination which recorded a length of 1.67 cm and number of shoots were around 5 compared to the other combinations. This study on success rate of shoot regeneration through micropropagation using nodal explants helps in the establishment of direct organogenesis and to eliminate the somaclonal variation and to overcome the heterogeneity in the fruits.

Keywords: Sechium edule, micropropagation, auxins, cytokines, nodal explants, shoot regeneration.