IN VITRO PLANT REGENERATION AND BULBLET FORMATION OF SHALLOTS (ALLIUM ASCALONICUM L.) ´SUMENEP´

Responses of shoot tip and basal part explants of shallot (Allium ascalonicum L.) ‘Sumenep’ on BDS media supplemented with auxins (NAA, 2,4-D and picloram) at each 0, 0.1, 0.25 and 1 mg/l alone and also at each 0.1 mg/l in combination with each 1.0 mg/l cytokinins (BA, 2iP, thidiazuron and zeatin) as well as cytokinins alone at 1.0 mg/l were studied. Subcultures at four week interval were applied during 12 weeks of culture, after which proliferated shoots were transferred into BDS media with 150 g/l sucrose. Results indicated that only shoot tip explants gave responses through direct adventive shoot proliferation or callus formation. Shoot tip explants derived from materials kept at 4°C for four weeks prior to excision performed more vigorous growth and produced more shoots/culture. Those proliferated shoots and callus performed much better shoot proliferation and growth, and some of them formed bulblets in BDS media with 150 g/l sucrose. Shoot tips explants (4°C) on BDS media with 0.1 mg/l picloram and 1.0 mg/l thidiazuron give the highest number of shoots (25 shoots/culture).