Indian Journal of Plant Physiology

  • Year: 2007
  • Volume: 12
  • Issue: 4

Effect of nitrogen source on growth and morphogenesis in three micropropagated Nepenthes spp.

  • Author:
  • A.A. Mao1,, A. Wetten2, M.F. Fay3, P.D.S. Caligari2
  • Total Page Count: 5
  • DOI:
  • Page Number: 317 to 321

1Botanical Survey of India, Eastern Circle, Laitumkhrah, Shillong-793 003, India.

2Department of Agricultural Botany, School of Plant Sciences, The University of Reading, Whiteknights, P.O. Box 221, Reading RG6 6AS, U.K.

3The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AE, U.K.

Abstract

The effect of the two main nitrogen sources, i.e. NH4(NO3) and Ca(NO3)2 in Woody Plant Medium (WPM) on three micropropagated Nepenthes spp. showed differences among three species in percentage nitrogen content in dried leaf, shoot production, shoot length and fresh plant weight. Higher number of shoots and longer shoot length were observed on treatment with a single nitrogen source rather than a combination of the two sources. The three species showed higher uptake of nitrogen from nutrient with single source Ca(NO3)2 but in general produced lower fresh weights on treatment with higher Ca(NO3)2. Abnormality in leaf morphology was observed in N. khasiana and N. pervillei on the treatments with a single nitrogen source. The study concludes that a combination of two nitrogen sources are required rather than a single source for normal growth of the Nepenthes species.

Keywords

Micropropagation, Nepenthes spp., nitrogen source