Microalgal Extract as a Stimulant for in vitro Culture of Capsicum Annuum L.

Plant tissue culture is an essential technique for rapid propagation, germplasm conservation, and production of healthy seedlings. Traditional culture media used in this technique often rely on synthetic plant growth regulators (PGRs) like BAP and Kinetin, which are expensive and may affect plant genetic stability. Present investigation deals with the use of micro-algal extract from Asterarcys quadricellulare as an additive to Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium for in vitro propagation of chilli (Capsicum annuum L., variety Pusa Jwala). For this purpose the seeds of chilli were cultured on MS basal medium and MS supplemented with microalgal extract at the concentration of 2, 4, and 6 mg/l. Seed germination, shoot length, root length, stem diameter, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, carotenoid content in the seedlings were recorded. Results showed that MS medium supplemented with 6 mg/l microalgal extract exhibited highest root length, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and carotenoids, indicating enhanced growth. Seed germination was also higher in microalgal treatments as compared to MS basal media. One-way ANOVA confirmed significant differences in root length, chlorophyll content, carotenoids among treatments, while shoot length and stem diameter showed no significant variation. These findings suggest that micro-algal extract acts as natural bio-stimulant, promoting root development and plant growth and can serve as a sustainable, low-cost alternative to synthetic PGRs for in vitro propagation of chilli.