Tissue Culture and Micro-tuber Induction of Dioscorea opposita, Jiu Jin Huang

Using yam bulbils for tuber propagation not only benefits the rejuvenation of Dioscorea opposita but also reduces the planting cost. Thus, conditions of the micro-tuber induction for the yams were studied. The shoot tips were cultured in MS medium with additions of varying concentrations of NAA/6-BA. Different treatments using NAA/KT, active carbon and sucrose were applied for the experimentation. The results indicated the optimal medium composition for the shoot tip induction to be: MS + 0.1 mgL-1 NAA+ 2.0 mgL-1 6-BA+ 0.2 gL-1 AC+ 30.0 gL-1 sucrose+ 8.0 gL-1 agar.The resultant plant regeneration rate was 91.7%. The optimal medium formula for the micro-tuber induction was: MS +0.1 mgL-1 NAA+ 1.0 mgL-1 KT+ 2.0 gL-1 AC+ 50.0 gL-1 sucrose+ 8.0 gL-1agar.The regenerated plants from the micro-tubers not only maintained the characteristics of the parent species but also improved its commercial appealing.