Shallots (Allium cepa var. aggregatum) are a type of onion which form several bulbs from a single basal disc. They are characterized by a high total solids content which improves their gastronomic and neutraceutical properties. Shallots (Allium cepa var. aggregatum) are a culinary staple with high commercial value in European, North American and South American markets. Their commercial production via vegetative propagation, however, is time-consuming and strongly affected by viral diseases. The aim of this study was to establish an in vitro apical meristem culture protocol for the regeneration of shallot plants. The efficiency of different regeneration and bulb-formation media were evaluated in this investigation. The best results for plant regeneration (68 % efficiency) were obtained with MS + 30g. L-1 sucrose + 1.5g. L-1 benomyl + 1.1uM NAA + 8.9uM BAP and for bulb formation (77% efficiency) with MS + 10uM ancymidol and 50g. L-1 sucrose. Moreover, 50% of all plants regenerated from apical meristems were effectively acclimatized. The protocol developed and standardized in this investigation can be used to increase the efficiency of shallot bulb-seed production for commercial applications.
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