Application of Kinetin and Naphthalene Acetic Acid (NAA) for the growth and development of Aglaonema tricolor explant

Two experiments were conducted to assess the effect of kinetin and NAA on the shoot growth and rooting of tissue-cultured Aglaonema tricolor using leaf bud explant. Likewise, it was also aimed to assess the suitability of Aglaonema leaf bud as explant and to determine the amount of NAA and kinetin needed in shoot formation and proliferation of the said foliage ornamental crop. NAA applied singly or in combination with kinetin did not affect the percentage survival of the explants, percent shoot formation, number of shoots, length of shoots, days to shoot formation and percent callus formation. Rates used were 0, 1.0 and 1.5 ppm kinetin and 0.25, and 5 ppm NAA A comparative evaluation of NAA and Kinetin was also conducted. In the follow-up study, percent callus formation, shoot length, number, and length of roots were significantly higher which showed a better effect with the application of 5 ppm NAA than 1.5 ppm Kinetin + 2.5 ppm NAA. In the first study, the optimum amount and the effective ratio of NAA and kinetin to enhance growth may not have been the ones tested. It is also possible that the variety used was not responsive to the growth regulator. The result of this study would add information on the use of growth regulators in the micropropagation of foliage crops. Studies like this will promote the advancement of foliage crop propagation for commercialization.