In Vitro Propagation of Salt-Tolerant Wild Rice Relative, Porteresia coarctata Tateoka

Area of Science:

• Plant Biotechnology
• Conservation Biology
• Horticultural Science

Background:

• Porteresia coarctata Tateoka is a wild rice relative possessing valuable genetic traits for salinity and submergence tolerance.
• Its conservation is crucial for agricultural biodiversity and developing resilient crop varieties.
• Traditional propagation methods may be insufficient for large-scale conservation and utilization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish an efficient micropropagation protocol for Porteresia coarctata.
• To facilitate the conservation of this important wild relative of rice.
• To enable the utilization of its unique genetic traits, such as salt tolerance.

Main Methods:

• Nodal explants of Porteresia coarctata were cultured on Woody Plant (WP) medium.
• Benzyladenine (5.5 µm) and kinetin (2.3 µm) were used for shoot initiation and multiplication.
• Rooting was optimized using a combination of 1/2 WP and 1/2 MS media with alpha-naphthaleneacetic acid (10.7 µm).
• In vitro regenerated plantlets were hardened for field establishment.

Main Results:

• The optimal medium for shoot initiation and multiplication yielded 11 shoots/explant with an average length of 3.5 cm after 8 weeks.
• Simultaneous rooting in multiplication media showed poor subsequent establishment.
• Enhanced rooting was achieved by transferring shoots to 1/2 WP and 1/2 MS media with NAA.
• Successful hardening of rooted plantlets under field conditions was achieved.

Conclusions:

• An effective micropropagation protocol for Porteresia coarctata has been developed.
• This protocol supports the conservation of Porteresia coarctata and its valuable genetic resources.
• The successful field establishment of micropropagated plants demonstrates the viability of this technique for wider application.