Callus induction and regeneration via shoot tips of Dendrocalamus hamiltonii

By using shoot tips as explants, various media and culture conditions for callus induction and proliferation, shoot differentiation, root induction and plantlet transplantation to develop an efficient and reliable regeneration system with Dendrocalamus hamiltonii were tested. Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 3 mg/l 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, 1 mg/l benzyladenine (BA), 500 mg/l glutamine, 500 mg/l proline, and 500 mg/l casein hydrolysate yielded the best rates of callus induction and granular-compact callus induction. MS medium supplemented with 1 mg/l BA, 0.3 mg/l kinetin and 0.3 mg/l naphthaleneacetic acid conferred the highest differentiation rate of calli. The maximum rooting rate was obtained in 1/2 MS medium supplemented with 3 mg/l indole-3-butyric acid, and the roots were long and thick. All hardened plantlets survived after transfer to an equal ratio mixture of peat, vermiculite and perlite. The regeneration system of D. hamiltonii developed is efficient and provides a useful tool for genetic transformation in bamboo species.