In Vitro Regeneration of Plantlets and Micro Tubers from Nodal Segments of Dioscorea hispida (Dennst.)

Dioscorea hispida is a climber that produces starch rich subterranean tubers that yield delicious Baichandi on processing. Nodal pieces of climber produced plantlets and micro tubers in vitro. Explants from greenhouse plants were established on MS medium supplemented with 1 mg/l BAP. Nodal segments of established shoots produced 3.1 ? 0.23 shoots per node when placed on shoot proliferation medium, WPM supplemented with 1 mg/l BAP. Root initiation occurred in 90% micro-shoots inoculated on half strength MS medium supplemented with 25 mg/l activated charcoal. The plantlets showed 86.73% survival in net pots containing coco peat, under green house condition. The micro shoots produced micro tubers of 520 mg average weight in MS medium supplemented with 60 gm/l sucrose and 1 mg/l NAA under 8 h light and 16 h dark regime.