High Efficiency Plant Regeneration from Cotyledon Explants of Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) cv. Kandhari Kabuli

High Efficiency Plant Regeneration from Cotyledon Explants of Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) cv. Kandhari Kabuli

A high frequency plant regeneration protocol via direct organogenesis has been developed for Punica granatum L. cv. Kandhari Kabuli, a medicinally important horticultural tree. Cotyledon explants procured from 15-20-days-old in vitro grown seedlings were used as explants. MS medium supplemented with 2.0 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and 1.5 mg/l naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) was optimal for shoot regeneration, which resulted into highest frequency of shoot regeneration (67.89%) along with maximum average number of shoots formed per explant (5.38) and average shoot length (3.62 cm). Shoot multiplication and elongation took place on the same medium. Half strength MS medium containing 0.1 mg/l NAA and 0.02% activated charcoal was found most effective for rooting of shoots resulting into 80.12% root regeneration frequency. Regenerated plantlets were transferred to plastic cups containing autoclaved peat moss and successfully acclimatized with 85% survival rate. This is the first report on in vitro plant regeneration through direct organogenesis in P. granatum L. cv. Kandhari Kabuli using cotyledon explants.