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Pak. J. Bot., 42(6): 4087-4093, 2010.

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RAPID IN VITRO MULTIPLICATION OF ACACIA NILOTICA SUBSP. HEMISPHERICA, A CRITICALLY ENDANGERED ENDEMIC TAXON

HAIDER ABBAS^1*, MUHAMMAD QAISER² AND BEENA NAQVI³

Abstract: Acacia nilotica Willd. ex Delile subsp. hemispherica is an endangered and endemic taxon reported from Southern Pakistan. Hence an urgent conservation strategy is required due to exposure of the taxon to habitat loss and its over-exploitation. A micropropagation system was developed for Acacia nilotica by comparing MS and B5 media effects on growth. Fresh seeds were collected from the wild, germinated in vitro and these seedlings were used as an explant source. The efficiency of B5 and MS medium was thoroughly examined by augmenting with various levels of BAP along with 0.5 mg/l NAA. MS media proved more appropriate than B5 medium and produced the highest number (4.23) of shoots with 43.2% shoot regeneration frequency in the presence of 2.0 mg/l BAP and 0.5 mg/l NAA. IAA (3.0 mg/l) produced maximum number (2.80) of roots along with the highest rooting frequency (95%).

¹Karachi Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (KIBGE), University of Karachi, Karachi-75270, Pakistan,

²Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology, Karachi -75300, Pakistan,

³Plant Tissue Culture Laboratory, Pakistan Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) Laboratories Complex, Karachi-75280, Pakistan.

^*Corresponding author: invitro.life@gmail.com