In vitro propagation of herbaceous peony (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.) cv. Sara Bernhardt using shoot tips

Present investigation was carried out to establish an effective micropropagation protocol for herbaceous peony (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.) cv. Sara Bernhardt using shoot tips of vegetative shoots. Explants were collected when the plants were in full bloom. Combined surface sterilization of explants with carbendazim (0.01%) + mercuric chloride (0.1%) + ethyl alcohol (70%) yielded maximum aseptic cultures (73.33%) and good explant survival (70.00%). Highest explant establishment (43.33%) was recorded with BAP (1.00 mg/l) but maximum shoot length (2.36 cm) and leaf number/shoot (7.31) was recorded with BAP + GA₃ (0.50 + 0.10 mg/l). Maximum proliferating cultures (72.0%) with good shoot multiplication (5.60) and shoot length (1.64 cm) were obtained with BAP + kinetin (0.50 + 0.50 mg/l). BAP (1.0 mg/l) yielded maximum shoots/explant (6.20) but minimum shoot length (1.22 cm). Maximum rooting (53.33%) and roots/shoot (2.62) were obtained with IBA (0.25 mg/l). IBA proved superior to NAA in improving rooting percentage and root number. Ex vitro survival of the rooted plantlets was 46.67% under glasshouse.