Journal of American Science 2010;6(10) http://www.americanscience.org editor@ americanscience.org In vitro propagation of Gigantochloa atroviolaceae Widjaja through nodal explants Prabha Bisht * , Manu Pant and Abhinav Kant Tissue Culture Discipline (Botany Division) Forest Research Institute, Dehradun-248006 (Uttarakhand, India.) * Corresponding author: prabhabisht25@gmaill.com Abstract: A procedure for the regeneration of complete plantlets of Gigantochloa atroviolaceae through axillary shoot proliferation is described. Axillary bud break was accomplished in full strength liquid MS medium fortified with 25.0 μM BAP. Axillary shoots produced were multiplied on semi-solid MS medium supplemented with BAP (20μM) + NAA (3.0μM) giving a multiplication rate of 2.39. In vitro shoots were rooted on full strength MS medium supplemented with varying concentrations of auxins. Optimal rooting was achieved on medium supplemented with 35.0μM IBA. Regenerated plantlets were successfully hardened and acclimatized under net house conditions with over 80% survival. [Journal of American Science 2010;6(10):1019-1025]. (ISSN: 1545-1003). Keywords: Gigantochloa atroviolaceae, in vitro propagation, nodal explants, axillary shoot multiplication Abbreviations: MS: Murashige and Skoog (1962); PGR: Plant Growth Regulator; BAP: 6, Benzylaminopurine; Kn: 6- Furfurylaminopurine; NAA: -Naphthalene Acetic Acid; IBA: Indole-3 Butyric Acid. 1. Introduction Bamboo, the world’s fastest growing and environment-friendly giant grass, is now internationally recognized as an important, cost effective and safe alternative to wood. In India, the consumption of bamboo has increased considerably from 2.2 million tones in 1980 (Varmah and Bahadur, 1980) to 13.48 million tones in 2003 (Planning Commission, 2003) due to rapid growth of bamboo based industries. In the current scenario, the largest consumer of bamboo in the country is construction sector (3.4 million tones) followed by an escalating demand for a variety of products viz. paper production, laminates, flooring, boards, ply etc. However, the sectors consuming bamboos are facing a shortage of bamboo supply. Due to limitations in conventional methods of propagation the potential of micropropagation has raised high hopes and a lot of research has been focused on the development of protocols for rapid and large scale propagation. Stimulation of axillary meristems into shoots using nodes with pre-formed buds in axils is the most commonly used method for mass propagation of bamboos. Axillary shoots proliferating from these pre-formed meristems have the advantage of being the true compliment of explant source and hence selected superior stocks can be multiplied on mass scale. Gigantochloa atroviolaceae Widjaja (G.atter sensu Kurz.), commonly known as Black Bamboo, is a highly attractive ornamental bamboo from Java and Sumatra. It is an impressive, loosely tufted, clumped, sympodial branched bamboo having thin but strong and durable black culms with narrow white bands at the nodes and large leaves. The timber is used for building and furniture construction, musical instruments, craft items and ornamental purposes. The rapidly increasing bamboo-based industries have resulted in severe loss of forest stocks. Consequently, there is always a shortage of planting stock material of this bamboo due to its tremendous economical importance. The species is mainly propagated vegetatively by rhizome or culm cuttings. However cuttings are bulky, difficult to handle and transport. Moreover, propagules obtained via vegetative methods are successful only if they root. Root promoting substances (auxins) have little effect on bamboo rooting (mature cuttings) and planted material (vegetatively propagated plants) have been found to develop very slowly (Hassan, 1980). Further year round, vegetative propagation is difficult due to seasonal specificity of material (Saxena and Bhojwani, 1993). Therefore, it becomes imperative to adopt alternative methods for its rapid multiplication and tissue culture techniques offer a potent tool for the purpose. The present work reports a suitable 1019