Pamela Eloho Akinidowu

Title : Effect of adenine sulphate and two growth regulators on in vitro propagation of plantain cv. Agbagba (aab)

Abstract:

This study aims to establish the optimal conditions for in vitro micropropagation of plantain (Agbagba) by evaluating the synergetic effect of Adenine sulphate (AdS) on benzylaminopurine (BAP) in combination with indoleacetic acid (IAA). Apical meristem (1.5-2.0 cm) were excised from shoot tips of plantain and used as explants. For regeneration, Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium were supplemented with different concentrations of BAP (2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 4.5 mg/l) and IAA (1.8 mg/l) in combination with or without AdS (50, 100 mg/l). Eight explants per treatment with three replicates were used. It was observed that 83% of the shoots turned green 5 days after initiation on medium containing 4.0 mg/l BAP + 1.8 mg/l IAA + 100 mg/l AdS and highest shoot length (7.9cm) and shoot weight (5.74g) were recorded 28days after initiation. Explants obtained from regeneration medium were passed through several cycles of subculture on MS medium supplemented with BAP (3.0, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0 mg/l) and IAA (1.8 mg/l) in combination with AdS (50, 100, 150 mg/l). Highest mean number of shoots (23.33 per explant) and shoot length (5.87 cm per explant) were recorded on medium containing 4.5mg/l BAP + 1.8 mg/l IAA + 100 mg/l AdS at the third subculture. This was followed by medium containing BAP 3.0 mg/l + IAA 1.8 mg/l + AdS 150 mg/l which recorded 19.67 shoot/explant and shoot length of 6.03 cm/explant. A 3-fold increase was further observed at the fourth subculture with MS medium supplemented with 4.5 mg/l BAP + 1.8 mg/l 1AA + AdS 100 mg/l. Adenine sulphate in combination with BAP stimulates multiplication of Agbagba. An increase in AdS concentration did not result in significant increase in the multiplication and growth parameters of plantain plantlets.

Biography:

Pamela Akin-Idowu is an Assistant director and a Research scientist at the National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT), Ibadan, Nigeria. She heads the biotechnology unit of NIHORT where she manages research laboratories and coordinates project activities. Pamela has a PhD in Biochemistry (specialization in plant molecular biology) from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Her current research focuses on developing and optimizing protocols for in vitro propagation of some horticultural crops for mass production of healthy planting materials to meet farmers need. She has over 18 years experience in plant tissue culture techniques and molecular characterization. Other areas of research interest are in the characterization of horticultural crops for conservation of germplasm for use in crop improvement programmes based on phenotypic (qualitative and quantitative methodologies) and DNA markers (RAPD, SSR, SDS-PAGE).

She is a recipient of many fellowships including the African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) a Bill and Melinda gates scholarship programme, Nuffic-Netherlands Fellowship Programme (NFP) and MASHAV (Government of Israel) Scholarship Programme.

She has attended much training locally, regionally and internationally where she gained knowledge and hands-on skills in both advanced tissue culture and molecular techniques.

Pamela has published in many peer reviewed journals and has presented papers in both local and international conferences. She has also organized training workshops on plant tissue culture technology where she has participated as resource person and course coordinator.

She is also a member of professional bodies like the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS), American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB), Biotechnology Society of Nigeria (BSN) and the Horticultural Society of Nigeria (HORTSON).