Investigations on production of zebra plant (Haworthia sp.) by tissue culture

Today, the need for green areas and drought is increasing daily, and there is a need for many plants that can adapt to extreme environmental conditions. Succulent plants constitute an important plant group that serves this purpose. Haworthia, it is one of the important succulent plant genera with high economic value, used both as an ornamental plant and for medicinal purposes, and is in the Xanthorrhoeaceae family. Haworthia fasciata (Willd.) Haw. which is one of the most important species in ornamental plant cultivation, is a small perennial plant that adds vitality to the area with its decorative leaves and is preferred by users due to its easy care. This study is about the micropropagation of Haworthia fasciata 'Alba' cultivar by tissue culture method. MS containing 3% sucrose and 0.7% agar was used as the basal nutrient medium, and young leaves were used as explant. The effects of explant type and growth regulators on in vitro adventitious shoot regeneration were investigated. Positive results were obtained from combining whole leaves containing leaf bases as explants and nutrient media containing growth regulators. No organogenesis occurred in the control group (MS) applications that did not contain growth regulators, while the development was in the form of callus in the applications containing 2,4-D, and no transformation into the plant occurred. The highest number of adventitious shoots were obtained from the combinations of auxin cytokinins containing IAA. The highest number of shoots 1.0 mg/L BAP+0.5 mg/L IAA (4.67±0.58 units), 1.0 mg/L Kinetin+ 1.0 mg/L IAA (4.25±0.50 units) and 2.0 mg/L Kinetin+ 1.0 mg/L IAA (4.00±0.82). The resulting shoots were successfully rooted in MS and ½ MS medium with or without growth regulators in vitro. Rooted plantlets were successfully acclimatized to external conditions at a ratio of 100% in the mixture of peat, perlite + peat (3:1), peat + pumice stone (3:1) and peat + perlite + pumice stone in equal proportions.