An Efficient Plant Regeneration System for Sorghum bicolor - a Valuable Major Cereal Crop

An efficient, rapid and large-scale in vitro clonal propagation of agronomically important Indian cereal crop genotypes (NSH27 & K5) of Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench. by enhanced shoot proliferation in shoot tip segments was designed. MS medium fortified with plant growth regulators and coconut water markedly influenced in vitro propagation of Sorghum bicolor. In vitro plantlet production system has been investigated on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium with the synergistic combination of 6-benzyladenine ($22.2\;{\mu}M$), kinetin ($4.6\;{\mu}M$), adenine sulphate ($2.8\;{\mu}M$), 5% coconut water and 3% sucrose which promoted the maximum number of shoots as well as beneficial shoot length. Subculturing of shoot tip segments on a similar medium enabled continuous production of more than 100 healthy shoots with similar frequency. When the healthy shoot clumps were cultured on MS medium fortified with 6-benzyladenine ($22.2\;{\mu}M$), kinetin ($4.6\;{\mu}M$), adenine sulphate ($2.8\;{\mu}M$), ${\alpha}$-naphthaleneacetic acid ($2.7\;{\mu}M$), ascorbic acid ($30.0\;{\mu}M$) and 5% coconut water, a rapid production of axillary and adventitious buds was developed after 8 wk culture. More than 300 shoots were produced 10 wk after culture. Rooting was highest (100%) on half strength MS medium containing 22.8 mM IAA. Micropropagated plants established in garden soil, farmyard soil and sand (2:1:1) were uniform and identical to the donor plant with respect to growth characteristics. These plants grew normally without showing any traits.