IN VITRO PROPAGATION OF Zingiber zerumbet (L.) Roscoe ex Sm.

Abstract

This study established a protocol for the in vitro propagation of Zingiber zerumbet (L.) Roscoe ex Sm. using plant tissue culture techniques. The optimal surface sterilization was achieved by immersing rhizome explants in 70% ethanol for 60 seconds, followed by disinfection with 0.5% sodium dichloroisocyanurate (NaDCC) for 15 minutes. Explants cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 0.1 mg/L BAP produced the highest aseptic culture rate (76.67%) and regeneration rate (91.30%). The best shoot multiplication was obtained on MS medium containing 1.0 mg/L BAP, 0.5 mg/L kinetin, and 30 g/L sucrose, yielding an average of 5.37 shoots per explant and a mean shoot height of 46 mm after eight weeks of culture. Root induction reached 100% on MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/L NAA and 30 g/L sucrose, producing an average of 8.77 roots per plantlet after four weeks. Complete plantlets were successfully acclimatized in a substrate mixture of soil, rice husk ash, and coconut coir (1: 1: 1), achieving a survival rate of 98.33% and an average height of 93.11 mm after eight weeks. This in vitro propagation protocol provides a reliable method for large-scale production of high - quality Z. zerumbet plantlets, contributing to the conservation and sustainable development of this valuable medicinal species.