Role of sterilants in establishment of aseptic culture using different explants in tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa Linn.)

The aim of the present study was to establish an efficient protocol for acquiring aseptic culture from Single and Double cultivars of tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa Linn.) namely, Prajwal and Vaibhav, respectively. Initially aseptic cultures for bulb scale, buds, petal segment and immature flower bud explants were established by pre-treatment using 0.1 per cent of carbendazim and mancozeb and 200 mg l⁻¹ 8-HQC for 4h and 2h, respectively. The survival per cent observed was 89.20 per cent and 82.5 per cent in case of bulb scales and bud explants and 87.50 per cent and 90.83 per cent for flower based explants respectively. HgCl₂ and NaOCl applied at 1.0% for 8 min as surface sterilant has shown better results with respect to all the explants used in order to get the good amount of aseptic cultures in tuberose cultivars.