Production of Teak (Tectona grandis L.) Plants by the In-vitro Microbutting Technique: Effect of Desinfection and Phytoregulators

Teak plays an important role in reforestation in inter-tropical Africa. It is often used for timber and service wood. The species has enjoyed remarkable growth in Côte d'Ivoire thanks to its resistance to the bush fires that occurred in 1980. However, its natural dissemination is a major concern because of its poor ability to take cuttings, and its in vitro regeneration is a barrier because of the lack of a disinfection protocol. The aim of this study was to determine the best disinfection technique and the best growth regulator for in vitro propagation of teak. Apex and nodal segment explants were subjected to four disinfection techniques. These explants were seeded on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basic culture media supplemented with different concentrations of Benzylaminopurine (0.5; 1; 2 and 4 mg/l), Kinetin (0.5; 1; 2 and 4 mg/l) and Thidiazuron (0.01; 0.1; 0.25 and 0.5 mg/l). The best disinfection technique was 5% fungicide (5 min), followed by 70% alcohol (3 min), 0.05% mercury chloride (10 min) and 50% sodium hypochlorite (5 min). The nodal segment cultured on MS medium supplemented with 2 mg/l Benzylaminopurine was required for teak multiplication.