In vitro maintenance of indigenous taro (Colocasia esculenta var. esculenta (L) Schott)
Abstract
Colocasia esculenta (L) Schott belonging to Araceae family has a long history of cultivation and plays an important role in food production of the poor agricultural and slow developing countries, in including Viet Nam. Tissue culture method is considered as an important method for producing disease-free and long-term conservation of genetic resources and the means for exchange of taro germplasm, especially for conservation of genetic resource distributed in mountainous areas or wild relatives that are difficult to maintain in field conditions. Results of in vitro
maintenance of Bac Can taro showed that the suitable materials used for micropropagation were tubers. The most suitable disinfection was achieved by dipping taro tubers in 0.1% HgCl2 for 7 minutes + 0.1% HgCl2 in 1 minute. Optimum medium for in vitro taro plantlet maintenance was MS + 6 g/l agar + 2g/l mannitol, or cultured under conditions of low temperature (5°C). These culture conditions not only reduced the growth of in vitro plants and prolonged the time for conservation but also sustained good growth of in vitro plants. The medium used for maintenance of in vitro tubers was MS + 90g/l saccarose + 6g/l agar + Alar 2g/l and photoperiod 16h/day.