INVITRO-PROPAGATION OF ANACARDIUM-OCCIDENTALE L

Multiple buds have been induced from cotyledonary nodes of cashew, Anacardium occidentale L. Maximum number of buds were initiated on Murashige & Skoog's (MS) medium supplemented with 117 mM sucrose, 14.6 mM maltose and 22.2-mu-M BA. The buds were harvested at each subculture after elongation on MS medium supplemented with 100 ml l-1 coconut water, 14.6 mM maltose, increased sucrose (146 mM) and decreased BA (4.4-mu-M). Excised microshoots were rooted in vitro on MS medium in the presence of 117 mM sucrose, 2.9-mu-M IAA and 4.9-mu-M IBA. Plantlets have been successfully transferred to soil and have been established in the field.