Micro Clonal Propagation Protocol for Lowland Bamboo (Oxytenanthera abyssinica) and Adapted the Propagated Seedling in the Dryland Areas of Abay Valley, Ethiopia

Abstract

Oxytenanthera abyssinica has various economic and ecological benefits in Ethiopia. Now adays, the need for planting the species across the wider landscape, as plantation forest, is increasing. However, conventional propagation methods of O. abyssinica are found generally to be inefficient because they have low multiplication rate, are time consuming, labor intensive and too costly. Accordingly, tissue culture protocol was developed at Bahir Dar Tissue Culture Laboratory during 2021/22 for production of sufficient number of lowland bamboo seedlings through seed culture. Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium augmented with 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP) was used for shoot initiation and multiplication. MS medium supplemented with 3-Indole –butric acid (IBA) was used for in vitro rooting. In shoot initiation experiment all viable seeds were proliferated in 5-7 days of culturing. Shoot was successfully multiplied at 0.004 g/L BAP and best rooting response was found at 0.005 g/l IBA. The propagated seedling was planted and adapted in the lowland areas of Abay valley at 1000 m asl.  The present optimized protocol and adaptation of the propagated seedling in the dryland areas enable actors who need large numbers of low land bamboo seedling for aforestation/reforestation programs