An in vitro method for rapid regeneration of a monopodial orchid hybrid Aranda Deborah using thin section culture

A thin section culture system for rapid regeneration of the monopodial orchid hybrid Aranda Deborah has been developed. Thin sections (0.6–0.7mm thick) obtained by transverse sectioning of a single shoot tip (6–7mm), when cultured in Vacin and Went medium enriched with coconut water (20% v/v), produced an average 13.6 protocorm-like bodies (PLB) after 45 days, compared to 2.7 PLB formed by a single 6–7 mm long shoot tip under same culture condition. Addition of -naphthaleneacetic acid to Vacin and Went medium enriched with coconut water further increased PLB production by thin sections. PLB developed into plantlets on solid Vacin and Went medium containing 10% (v/v) coconut water and 0.5 g l^–1 activated charcoal. With this procedure, more than 80,000 plantlets could be produced from thin sections obtained from a single shoot tip in a year as compared to nearly 11,000 plantlets produced by the conventional shoot tip method.Abbreviations BA 6-benzyladenine - CD callus development - CW coconut water - KC Knudson C medium - MS Murashige and Skoog medium - NAA -naphthaleneacetic acid - PLB protocorm-like body - TS thin section - VW Vacin and Went medium