Exploring the possibilities of inducing protocorm like bodies (PLBs) from various explants of vanda mimi palmer and phalaenopsis bellina / Salamah A. Rahim Bajrai

The objective of this study is to investigate the possibility of inducing protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) from the explants of Vanda Mimi Palmer and Phalaenopsis bellina. The leaf explants was cultured on half strength Murashige and Skoog (1/2 MS) medium by using the Complete Randomized Experimental Design (CRED) method. Two types of plant regulator hormone which are 1-napthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) with different concentration of 0 mg/L, 0.5 mg/L, 1.0 mg/L and 3.0 mg/L respectively were used to study the effect these plant growth regulators (PG Rs) on PLBs induction for 16 weeks. After 16 weeks of observation, there is still no PBLs were induced by both type of orchid explants used at all plant growth regulator concentration tested. There is only the color changes of the explants that are observed. For Phalaenopsis bellina, the color of the explants started to change from green to brown at week 10 and turn to black color at week 12 to 16. On the other hand,Vanda Mimi Palmer shows a remained green explants color of sample I (1.0mg/1 BAP, 0mg/1 NAA), J (1.0mg/1 BAP, 0.5mg/l NAA) and L (1.0mg/1 BAP, 3.0mg/1 NAA) until week 16, while the other sample started to change color from green to brown at week 12. In conclusion, the maximum concentration of 3.0 mg/1 NAA and 3.0 mg/1 BAP are unable to trigger the explants to induce PLBs in these two species.