In vitro plant regeneration from callus cultures induced from seeds of Hedychium forrestii Diels

Hedychium forrestii Diels is a ginger plant with high ornamental and economic value. An efficient regeneration protocol was established with seeds as explants. Callus was induced on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium with 2.0 mg/L 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). Callus differentiated into adventitious shoot buds or somatic embryo-like structures (SELSs). SELSs on MS medium with 1.0 mg/L thidiazuron (TDZ) induced adventitious shoot buds. These differentiated on plant growth regulator-free MS medium or on MS with 1.0 mg/L 6-benzyladenine (BA) or kinetin (KIN). Multiple shoots were induced and proliferated on MS medium with cytokinins (2.0 mg/L BA, KIN or TDZ). Optimal shoot proliferation medium included 4.0 mg/L BA and 0.2 mg/L α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA). Individual shoots isolated from multiple shoot clusters were cultured on ½MS medium with 1.0 mg/L NAA or 1.0 mg/L indole-3-butyric acid. Within 45 d, 100% of shoots developed roots. Plantlets that were transplanted to peat- or coconut coir-based substrates resulted in more than 97% survival within 30 d.