Impact of sterilant on In vitro seed germination of citrus macroptera montr. : An important measure

The northeastern area is a hotspot for medicinal and aromatic plant biodiversity. The citrus germplasm highlights the critical need for conservation before the extinction of the region's indigenous and threatened citrus species. Endangered Citrus macroptera is utilized to battle numerous diseases such as hepatic disorders, cardiovascular diseases, renal disorders and for a variety of culinary applications. Several sterilization procedures are used in the direct organogenesis of endangered citrus germplasm employing seeds as explants. The surface sterilization process was optimized by combining sterilizing agents and altering exposure periods. Treatment S6 produced the best results with no contamination. The impact on seed germination and culture initiation was studied using different nutrient media supplemented with variable concentrations of phytohormones under optimized culture conditions. The best media optimized was Murashige and Tucker (MT) supplemented with 6-benzyl amino purine BAP (1mg/L), kinetin (Kn) (1mg/L), and polyvinylpyrrolidone PVP (50mg/L), with maximum germination and in a shorter period.