Optimization of Bougainvillea tissue culture system by response surface methodology

Bougainvillea is valued for its ornamental and medicinal properties, but its current propagation primarily relies on cuttings, which suffer from low efficiency. Although tissue culture offers faster propagation and is not limited by seasonal properties, the technical system remains underdeveloped. This study applies the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) to optimize the axillary bud induction and rooting stages of Bougainvillea tissue culture. By fitting a multivariate quadratic regression model to determine the relationship between factors and response values, the study aimed to refine the tissue culture system for Bougainvillea . The main findings of this study are as follows: (1) In the axillary bud induction stage, the optimal induction medium was MS (Murashige and Skoog) + 6-BA (6-Benzylaminopurine) 2.534 mg L −1 + NAA (1-Naphthaleneacetic acid) 0.1 mg L −1 , achieving a bud induction rate of 93.3 %. (2) The ideal rooting medium consists of 0.66 MS + IBA (Indole-3-butyric acid) 2.0 mg L −1 + NAA 0.09 mg L −1 . Upon optimizing the culture system, the bud induction rate during the primary culture stage rose to 93.3 %, and the rooting rate during the rooting stage reached 66.7 %. In conclusion, the optimization of culture media using a multifactorial approach proved more effective than the traditional two-factor method, and more accurately optimizes the media of different stages, which provides valuable insights for improving the Bougainvillea tissue culture system. • The culture medium consisting of MS + 6-BA 2.0 mg L −1 + NAA 0.05 mg L −1 increased the proliferation coefficient to 4.48. • During the induction phase, the effects of the three plant hormones on Bougainvillea were as follows: 2,4-D > NAA > 6-BA. • It was demonstrated that the combination of multiple factors is more effective than adding a single hormone.