Micropropagation of Withania frutescens: one way to recover reduced or extinct plant populations in the Balearic Islands

We established a rapid and inexpensive micropropagation protocol for the
Solanaceae plant Withania frutescens in order to produce a large stock of plant
material that can be used for conservation and research programs. This plant has an
important ecological value but it has a restricted distribution in the Balearic
archipelago (Mediterranean, Spain). Shoot tips and internodia were cultured on
Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with different auxins and
cytokinins. The best medium producing shoot induction, was the control MS with no
growth regulators added (94 %). This is very convenient due to the associated
advantage of reduction in production costs. Production of roots was best (75 %) on
the MS supplemented with indol butiric acid (IBA). The combination of NAA and
BAP produced the highest mortality (38 %) of explants. Withania frutescens was
successfully regenerated in vitro from nodal shoot segments excised from young
seedlings. Acclimatization and survival of plantlets was very high (100 %). The
results of our study will allow producing a stock of plant material in short time and
that can be used for conservation and research programs in order to maintain the
natural diversity of plants in the small islands of the Balearic archipelago.