Growth parameter study in Camelina sativa, a potential biofuel crop, under in-vitro culture conditions

The present study was conducted with the aim to find the effect of in vitro culture conditions on growth parameters, viz. germination, growth vigour, cotyledon opening, true leaf emergence, plant water content, shoot fresh weight, dry weight and leaf weight ratio of Camelina sativa (cv Calena). It was found that there was no significant difference with respect to germination (almost 100%) in all the media (water agar, half MS and full MS) but the rate of germination measured as Timson index significantly differed. In water agar the rate of germination was 95.42% in full MS 86.9% and in half MS 83.33%. Emergence of true leaf and growth vigour was highest in full MS as compared to half MS and water agar. There was significant difference in rate of germination, cotyledon opening, true leaf emergence, plant water content, fresh weight, dry weight and leaf weight ratio in all media. Shoot length was maximum (4.5 cm) in MS medium with highest fresh weight and dry weight (0.35 mg; 0.023 mg) as compared to half MS (0.204 mg; 0.017 mg) and water agar (0.031 mg; 0.014 mg). When explants (hypocotyl, leaf segment, nodes and shoot tip) collected from in vitro seedlings were cultured in MS with 1-5 mg/l BAP, 4 BAP gave best response for shoot tip and nodal explants followed by other combinations in descending order (100%, 88%, 82%, 77%, 73% in 4 BAP, 5 BAP, 3 BAP, 2 BAP and 1 BAP respectively). Other explants responded by enlargement and curling with little or no callus and eventually turned brown and necrotic. The preliminary results obtained in the present study shows the in vitro response of Camelina sativa, which can be used further for in vitro abiotic stress studies and genetic manipulation studies.