In vitro shoot micropropagation and plant establishment of an ornamental plant dumb cane (dieffenbachia compacta)

In the present study we report a highly efficient and cost effective in vitro micropropagation protocol for dumb cane (Dieffenbachia compacta) an ornamental foliage plant of high commercial value. Stem nodal segment (0.5 - 1.0 cm) excised from vegetative stem obtained from mature plants was used as explants. The result of surface sterilization indicated that 100% of contamination-free nodal explants were obtained with 0.25% mercuric chloride (HgCl2). Sterilized explants were inoculated on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with various concentrations (0.25–10 mg/L) of benzyl adenine (BA), N6-2-isopentyl adenine (2iP), 6-Furfurylaminopurine (Kin) and Thidiazuron (TDZ) to determine the specific type and concentration of growth regulators suitable for multiple shoot induction. The highest number of multiple shoots (6.7 ±1.1) was obtained on explants cultured on MS medium containing 10.0 mg/L BA. The synergistic influence of naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) with BA did not improve the number of shoots per explants. In vitro induced shoots were rooted on half-strength MS media without growth regulator. The well rooted plantlets were transplanted to plastic pots containing autoclaved garden soil and sand at ratio of 1:1, then hardened off and transferred to greenhouse where grown to maturity with 100% success.