MICROPROPAGATION OF CHAMOMILLA RECUTITA (L.) RAUSCHERT

Chamomile (Chamomilla recutita (L.) Rauschert) is a Compositae medicinal plant, cross- pollinated, able to be cultivated also on mountain lands, mainly for the production of dry flowers, rich of essential oils, which are known for their beneficial effects. The cultivation in Italy is not diffused enough to satisfy the internal demand; furthermore, the reduced availability of selected varieties does not stimulates cultivation. The research is directed towards breeding and fast propagation of newly selected varieties. Aim of the reported experiments was to find a protocol for micropropagating selected varieties of chamomile. Seeds of the varieties Italia Minardi (diploid, 2n=2x=18), BK2 and Lutea (tetraploids, 2n=4x=36) were used to start the aseptic culture. After surface sterilization and germination of the seeds, selected shoots were transferred to the proliferation phase. At the end of 2 subsequent 30-day subculture multiplication rates, length of proliferated shoots and presence of roots were evaluated using MS basal medium and comparing 4 different growth regulator compositions. Repeated subculturing was also tested. A substratum made of a sterile soil mix was used for the rooting phase. The best medium for the proliferation phase of all genotypes contained 0.5 mg/l of kinetin; it induced an average multiplication rate of 3.2 and a shoot length ranging from 1.7 to 3.5 cm. Rooting on soil mix was above 90% in most cases, depending upon genotype and original proliferation medium. Micropropagation of different genotypes of chamomile was successfully achieved.