Organogenesis Responses of Tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) var. assamica and sinensis

Research on the multiplication of tea plants through tissue culture using explant of young plant parts on tea plants grown in the field was carried out to obtain a faster plant propagation method. Different varieties of tea have different responses to organogenesis. Half-strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium showed the best pre-medium for shoot culture of tea. The initiation of shoots in the culture of shoot tip and axillary buds was remarkably accelerated in the media that added with BAP (3 mg . L-1) and GA3 (0.5 mg . L-1). Differentiation of organs was observed on adventitious buds cultured on the medium containing BAP (3 mg . L-1) and GA3 (0.5 mg . L-1), respectively. The best medium to shoot multiplication is BAP (3 mg . L-1) + GA3 (5 mg . L-1) + IBA (0.1 mg . L-1). Moreover, it was observed that the shoot tips and axillary bud culture from plant shoots in the field provided an effective method, which was easier, simpler and quicker in securing the growth of shoots compared with multiplication using cotyledon explant. Shoot tips culture provided a more effective method than axillary bud culture in Camellia sinensis var. assamica (Cinyuruan-143, Kiara-8, and TRI-2025). Otherwise, axillary bud culture provided a more effective method than shoot tips culture in C. sinensis var. sinensis (Tambi and Tambi Jingga).