In vitro Propagation of Oxytenanthera abyssinica (A. Rich. Munro) from Seed Culture

Introduction: In Ethiopia, O. abyssinica has varies economic importance. However, conventional propagation methods of O. abyssinica are generally inefficient due to their low multiplication rate, time consuming, labor intensive, and too costly.

Aims: The objective of this study was to develop a protocol for micropropagation of O. abyssinica through seed culture.

Methodology: For seed disinfection, NaOCl of 3, 4, and 5% concentration for 15, 20, and 25 min exposure time were tested. MS medium augmented with BAP or KN at different concentrations was used for shoot initiation and multiplication. For in vitro rooting, ½MS medium supplemented with IBA or NAA at different concentrations was used. Data were subjected to ANOVA and mean values were compared using LSD at a 5% of probability level.

Results: Seeds disinfected in 4.0% NaOCl for 25 minutes gave 71.6% clean explants and 23.45% germinated explants. In shoot initiation experiment all viable seeds were able to proliferate in 5-7 days of culturing in all treatments; and 4.0 mg dm^-3 BAP was found better in maximum shoot initiation percent (86.67) and mean number of shoots per explants (4.8). Similarly, in shoot multiplication 4.0 mg dm^-3 BAP was effective in highest mean number of shoot (11.33) and multiplication rate (3.77). The maximum rooting percent (93.33) and maximum root number per clump (9.42) were found at 8.0 mg dm^-3 IBA. Finally, the survival rate of plantlets in greenhouse condition was found to be 91.67% after 30 days of acclimatization.

Conclusion: The study enables to develop an effective and applicable protocol for O. abyssinica micropropagtion.