The impact of thidiazuron and growth medium on in vitro shoot multiplication of satoimo (Colocasia esculenta var. antiquorum)

Abstract

Satoimo (Colocasia esculenta var. antiquorum) is a nutritious tuber rich in vitamins A, vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid, which supports collagen production. It provides protein and carbohydrates making it ideal solution for anyone managing diabetes to support their dietary needs. Satoimo is propagated using tubers since it lacks flowers for generative reproduction. Due to the limited availability of tuber seeds, in vitro propagation techniques offer an alternative for rapid and uniform shoot multiplication. This study aims to determine the effect of thidiazuron and the type of growing medium on in vitro shoot multiplication of satoimo. This study was conducted with three replications and consist of two factors. The first factor involved five levels of thidiazuron: 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8 mg/L. The second factor consisted of two types of growth medium: solid and liquid medium. The results indicated that the addition of thidiazuron up to 0.6 mg/L, increased the number of shoots by 300% compared to the control in 12 WAP. Furthermore, the use of liquid medium resulted in 136% shoots than solid medium. The optimal treatment which resulted in the highest number of shoots at 12 WAP was liquid growing medium with 0.6 mg/L of thidiazuron.