Hemshikha Tyagi¹, Uttar Kumar Tomar^1,

Tecomella undulata (Marwar teak) is valuable timber yielding tree of Rajasthan. Micropropagation techniques are desirable in this species but commercially viable technique is still lacking. Thus in vitro propagation of Tecomella undulata using nodal segments of mature trees was refined. The in vitro shoot cultures can be established throughout the year but the most favourable months for bud break (75%) was January and February. Maximum 73% bud break with average 2.6 cm shoot length was observed on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 0.54 µM NAA and 8.8 µM BA. Shoots derived from the apical part of the propagule resulted in highest increment in shoot length (33.3 mm) and shoot number (2.0) after four weeks when cultured on MS + 4.4 µM BA medium. In vitro regenerated shoots were rooted maximally (43.3%) by dip treatment for 15 minutes in NAA (537.06 µM) & Indole -3-butyric acid (IBA) solution (492.1 µM) followed by transfer on ½ strength Gamborg (B₅) basal medium in Jan-March months. Additives like Ascorbic Acid (567.8 µM) and Thiamine HCl (29.6 µM) were found best for root length and root number respectively. But, interaction of these additives was antagonistic for rooting. Correlation studies on different classes of shoot length and rooting revealed that the rooting percentage increases with the increase in shoot length. Shoots less than 2.5 cm long do not root. The rooted plantlets were successfully hardened. Flowering was also observed in tissue culture plants in first year as well as in second year.

clonal forestry, flowering, in vitro rooting, micropropagation, Rohida