Tea (Camellia sinensis L. O. Kuntze) callus development based on morphological and phytochemical traits applied by variations in plant growth regulators (PGRs)

A variation of the clonal propagation system for tea has been established through in vitro methods, utilizing shoots and leaves derived from primary explants of mature field-grown plants. The research aimed to assess the diversity of tea calluses based on morphological and phytochemical traits derived from leaf and shoot explants on MS media induced by the application of plant growth regulators, including auxin and cytokinin. The research was conducted at the Seed Technology Unit Tissue Culture Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Jatinangor, from April 2022 to February 2023. The experiment employed MS-modified multiplication media and PGR, with BAP at 9 mg/L, TDZ at 1.0 mg/L, Zeatin at 0.1 mg/L, NAA at 0.01 mg/L, and 1 mg/L. Results indicated that applying PGR, auxin, and cytokinin with MS media influenced morphological and phytochemical traits of tea's callus derived from leaves and shoots. Specifically, the treatment of 1 mg/L NAA + 1 mg/L BAP showed the best performance on callus weight and total phenolic and flavonoid contents compared to other treatments., i.e. 9.038% % and 0.05% %, respectively. The success of clonal propagation in tea through in vitro methods is expected to increase by carefully selecting the appropriate source and type of explant, planting media, PGR, and addressing potential contaminants.