Indirect organogenesis and photoautotrophic acclimatization for scalable propagation of Ficus lyrata Warb. (fiddle-leaf fig), a popular indoor ornamental

Ficus lyrata Warb. (fiddle-leaf fig) is highly valued ornamental foliage plant but efficient in vitro regeneration and acclimatization systems are still needed to improve propagation efficiency for meeting commercial demand. This study establishes an optimized protocol for indirect shoot organogenesis from leaf lamina explants through callus culture, followed by shoot induction, rooting, and acclimatization. Callus morphogenesis was significantly influenced by auxin–cytokinin combinations, where lighter, compact calli maintained organogenic potential, while friable and darkened calli lost responsiveness after a 10-week culture. Among cytokinins tested, 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) at 0.5 mg/L produced the highest shoot regeneration with 18.5 shoots per jar, corresponding to approximately three shoots per callus clumps during a 6-week subculture cycle. Rooting trials revealed that a compost-based photoautotrophic system promoted stronger root formation and thicker stem thickness than agar-solidified medium, enabling direct transfer to greenhouse conditions, shortening production cycle by approximately four weeks. Multivariate analyses confirmed distinct trait associations, with photoautotrophic cultures clustering with root-related traits and agar-based cultures with shoot and leaf development. These findings provide an integrated in vitro regeneration and acclimatization framework for F. lyrata and support the use of photoautotrophic culture as a practical approach for industrial application.