Investigation of micropropagation via organogenesis technique in Aloe vera

Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis miller) is a woody plant species belonging to the Asphodelaceae family (formerly classified under Liliaceae). Although it is commonly cultivated in tropical and subtropical climates, regions such as North Africa, Southern Italy, and Greece are considered the native habitats of this plant. Aloe vera is traditionally propagated using stem segments; however, this method limits the scalability of traditional propagation techniques. This thesis primarily focuses on conducting various sterilization trials. The best results were obtained using 20% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) and 70% ethanol, achieving a 100% success rate. Sterilization of explants was carried out based on the optimal results obtained from these controlled laboratory conditions. To achieve in vitro propagation of Aloe vera, micropropagation protocols were developed. The stem segment explants used for micropropagation were sourced from the AR-GE greenhouses of the Adana YK Technopark joint venture. A solid MS basal nutrient medium containing various concentrations and combinations of plant growth regulators BA and NAA (0, 0.5, 1, and 2 mg/L BA and 0 and 0.5 mg/L NAA) was preferred for micropropagation. Subculture studies were performed on explants demonstrating shoot development using the same MS nutrient medium. The highest shoot formation rate, 20.98, was obtained from the MS medium containing 0.5 mg/L BA. The plants exhibiting shoot development were subsequently transferred to a rooting medium containing 0.5 mg/L NAA. The MS medium with 0.5 mg/L BA and 0.5 mg/L NAA (20.12) was determined to be suitable for rooting. As a result of this study, plants exhibiting root and leaf development obtained through in vitro experiments were successfully acclimatized to external conditions.