Standardization of Culture Media and Propagation Cycle For in Vitro Multiplication of C. Arabica via Organogenesis

Coffee is the most traded produce in the international market after oil. However, its production is constrained by low propagation rate as the fruits serve as a beverage and a seed. Plant tissue culture has been used to rapidly propagate different crops because it permits true-to-type multiplication with a high ratio. This study propagated single node cuttings (SNC) of C. arabica in vitro using different growth media over five cycles. Nodal cuttings from 8 weeks coffee seedlings were disinfected and cultured in Murashige and Skoog media supplemented with different concentrations of plant growth regulators (M1: 4 mg/L Benzylaminopurine; M2: 4 mg/L Benzylaminopurine+2 mg/L Naphthaleneacetic acid; M3: 4 mg/L Naphthaleneacetic acid+4 mg/L Benzylaminopurine; M4: 4 mg/L Naphthaleneacetic acid acid+8 mg/L Benzylaminopurine; and M5: 8 mg/L+8 mg/L Benzylaminopurine) for 8 weeks in five cycles. The experiment was a 5 (media) by 5 (cycles) factorial arranged in a CRD (r=3). Data were collected on the number of roots (NOR), the number of nodes (NON), and the number of leaves (NOL). All data were analysed using ANOVA and means were separated using LSD at α0.05. The NOL, NON, and NOR differed significantly among media and ranged from 1.6±0.3 (M3) to 3.0±0.3 (M4), 2.0±0.3 (M5) to 4.9±0.3 (M1), and 0.6±0.5 (M1) to 6.4±0.5 (M5), respectively. The NOL differed significantly among culture cycles and ranged from 2.2±0.3 (M4) to 3.2±0.3 (M2). The interaction between media and culture cycle was significant on the NOL. 4 mg/L Naphthaleneacetic acid+8 mg/L Benzylaminopurine enhanced leaf and root production while 4 mg/L Benzylaminopurine enhanced nodal formation.