High frequency shoot regeneration and plantlet formation from root tip of garlic

An efficient and novel method of direct shoot regeneration from root tips in garlic was developed. The influence of growth regulators, basal media and age of root explant on shoot initiation and proliferation was examined. The best growth regulator combination was 1-naphthaleneacetic acid and 6-benzyladenine at 1 and 10 µM, respectively, inducing shoot initiation from 75% of the explants. The frequency of shoot initiation on different basal media was similar. Explant root tips from plantlets taken 15 to 18 days after sprouting showed the highest shoot initiation (95%). In contrast to Murashige and Skoog medium, which produced more than 10 shoots per explant, B5 medium produced smaller shoots, although the number was higher. Rooting of individual shoots was induced after transfer to medium without growth regulators. Plantlets, after acclimatization in a growth cabinet, were successfully transplanted to the field, and no phenotypic variation was observed among them. The technique has potential applicability for rapid propagation of garlic.