Commercially viable process for in vitro mass culture of jatropha curcas

Abstract

The present invention relates to a commercially viable process for in vitro mass culture of Jatropha curcas . The process for in vitro mass culture of Jatropha curcas is simple, faster, and suitable for production of disease-free root tubers of uniform quality and employs media with a reduced concentration of phytohormones.

1 . A method for producing a true-to-type clone of a  Jatropha curcas  mother plant comprising culturing a meristematic explant of  Jatropha curcas  in media with phytohormones at a concentration from about 0.01 mg/L to about 10 mg/L and producing a true-to-type clone of a  Jatropha curcas  mother plant from said meristematic explant. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said meristematic explant is from a shoot tip or a nodal bud. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said meristematic explant is from a shoot tip. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said shoot tip comprises bud tissue. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said bud tissue is apical bud tissue. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said phytohormones are at concentration selected from the group consisting of 0.01 mg/L, 0.1 mg/L, 0.5 mg/L, 1 mg/L, 5 mg/L, and 10 mg/L. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said phytohormones are at a concentration from about 0.1 mg/L to about 0.3 mg/L. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said phytohormones are selected from the group consisting of cytokinins, cytokinin-active urea derivatives, auxins, and gibberellins. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said phytohormones are cytokinins. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said cytokinins are selected from the group consisting of 6-aminopurine (adenine), 6-aminopurine hydrochloride, 6-aminopurine hemisulfate, 6-benzyl aminopurine (BAP), kinetin, zeatin, and N6-substituted derivatives. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said cytokinin is 6-benzyl aminopurine. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said 6-benzyl aminopurine is at a concentration from about 0.44 μM to about 2.22 μM. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said 6-benzyl aminopurine is at a concentration of about 0.44 μM. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said phytohormones are cytokinin-active urea derivatives. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said cytokinin-active urea derivatives are selected from the group consisting of thiadiziron, diphenylurea, and N-phenyl-N′-(4-pyridyl) urea. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said phytohormones are auxins. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said auxins are selected from the group consisting of naphthalene acetic acid, naphthaleneacetamide, naphthoxyacetic acid, indole acetic acid, indole butyric acid (IBA), 4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), and 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said auxin is indole butyric acid. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said indole butyric acid is at a concentration of about 4.9 μM.