August 31, 2025 | Vegetos |
This study conducted by Arabhavi, University of Horticultural Sciences and the Central Agricultural University, India, addressed the need for efficient propagation methods to support sustainable cultivation of rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.), an economically important tropical fruit with increasing demand. Conventional propagation of rambutan is often limited by low success rates and variability, making in vitro techniques a promising alternative for large-scale and uniform plant production.
The research focused on optimizing micropropagation protocols for the cultivar Arka Coorg Arun using nodal explants from laboratory-grown seedlings. Single nodal segments from current-season and one-year-old seedlings showed moderate initial survival. Improved surface sterilization using carbendazim, gentamicin, and mercuric chloride significantly reduced contamination and enhanced explant survival. Phenolic browning, a major constraint in rambutan tissue culture, was effectively minimized by supplementing the medium with ascorbic acid, polyvinylpyrrolidone, and sucrose, resulting in high survival rates.
For shoot initiation, woody plant medium supplemented with 2 mg/L BAP produced rapid and high-frequency shoot induction, while gibberellic acid enhanced shoot elongation. Rooting was most successful on MS medium containing both IBA and IAA, achieving high rooting percentages and faster root initiation. Successfully rooted plantlets were acclimatized using coco peat, showing good adaptation.
Overall, the study establishes a reliable micropropagation protocol that can support mass multiplication, genetic conservation, and sustainable rambutan production.
