STERILIZATION PROTOCOL AND IN VITRO PROPAGATION OF MORINGA (Moringa oleifera) IN MURASHIGE AND SKOOG’S MEDIUM FORTIFIED WITH GROWTH REGULATORS

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out to determine a suitable protocol for in vitro propagation on M. oleifera tissue and to address the effect of surface sterilants that affect growth in both the seed and leaves explants. This research was done at Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR), Benin City, Edo State. MS medium were supplemeted with concentrations of different growth hormones such as BAP (0, 0.75, 1.0, 1.0, 0) ppm, NAA (0, 1.5, 1.5, 0, 0) ppm and IAA (0, 0, 0.5, 1.0, 0) ppm respectively. The surface sterilants used for surface sterilizing the seed and leaf explants were Mercuric chloride (HgCl2) and Sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) at different duration and applied serially at 1, 2, and 4 minutes durations. The study showed that the use of the three growth regulators at different concentrations combinations BAP (1.0 ppm), NAA (1.5 ppm) and IAA (0.5 ppm) had high morphogenic response in the MS medium as callogenesis was induced. This study further showed that serial application of HgCl2 and NaClO and their duration of exposure played an effective role in the reduction of seed and leaf explants culture contamination