In vitro regeneration and genetic fidelity testing of Aegle marmelos (L.) Corr. plants

A rapid and foolproof method of clonal micropropagation of bael has been developed using axillary shoot apices from mature bearing tree. Two to three cm long nodal shoots having one axillary bud excised from 10–15^th nodal region of shoots gave quick in vitro bud burst when cultured on MS medium supplemented with 3.0 mg/l kinetin. A high frequency shoot proliferation was achieved on same medium fortified with 3.0 mg/l BAP. The micro-shoots were rooted on MS medium supplemented with 25 mg/l IBA. The rooted plants were hardened on autoclaved coconut husk containing ½ MS nutrient solution and 1 mg/l paclobutrazol under mist house. The hardened plants are being evaluated under field condition. The micropropagated plants were tested for its genetic fidelity using 12 RAPD, 2 micro-satellite and 2 mini-satellite primers. Profile obtained by all the three single primer amplification reaction (SPAR) technique obtained from mother tree and micropropagated plants were found identical which suggests the genetic uniformity of micropropagated plants with that of mother tree