Tissue Culture of Desert Trees: I. Clonal Multiplication of Prosopis cineraria by Bud Culture

A method to produce 3-5 plantlets of Prosopis cineraria from a single bud expiant through in vitro culture in 100 days is described. Various auxins (NAA, IAA, IBA and 2,4-D) and cytokinins (Kinetin and BAP) were incorporated in Murashige and Skoog's (MS) medium for standardization of shoot and root formation; 3-indoleacetic acid (IAA: 3.0 mg·1(-1)) with Kinetin (0.05 mg · l(-1)) was found to be the best suited for multiple shoot differentiation. Shoot segments obtained after differentiation were multiplied by subculturing on ½ MS devoid of cytokinins and auxins. Shoot segments developed tap roots adventitiously within 15-20 days in White's basal (WM) medium containing 0.8% agar, 3.0 mg · l(-1) indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), and 0.05 mg · l(-1) kinetin. Transplantation to pots containing soil-vermiculite mixture (3:1) was successfully accomplished with 60% of rooted plants.