Micropropagation of Jatropha curcas L.

The effects of 1-naphtylacetic acid (NAA) and/or benzyladenine (BA) concentration and type of explants used in micropropagation of Jatropha curcas were determined. Shoot and node explants approximately 1.0 cm in length and young leaves (number 4, counted from the shoot apex) cut into squares of 1x1 cm were assessed on Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with different concentrations of NAA (0-10.74 mu M) and/or BA (0-8.88 mu M). Adventitious shoots could be induced from explants when cultured on MS agar medium having BA alone while BA and NAA led to simultaneous callus and adventitious shoot formation. In all types of explants, higher NAA concentrations were more suitable for callus induction. The most effective BA concentration for shoots and nodes was 4.44 mu M, providing up to 6-8 adventitious shoots per explant, whereas 8.88 mu M BA was suitable to induce 8-10 adventitious shoots from young leaf explants through direct organogenesis. In some of the leaf explants adventitious shoot and root formation occurred concurrently at low NAA concentration in the media. First histological studies revealed, that calli may have originated from parenchyma cells located in the vascular tissue of stem and young leaf segments.