In vitro propagation of traditional medicinal and dye yielding plant Morinda coreia Buch.–Ham

• An efficient and cost effective in vitro protocol for micropropagation of M. coreia.
• It is highly reproducible protocol which supports agar-gelled medium systems.
• The ex vitro rooting of the shoots reduces the time, energy and labor in plantlet production.
• Protocol can be used for commercial cultivation and adventitious root cultures for dye production of M. coreia.

An efficient micropropagation protocol has been developed successfully for Morinda coreia Buch.–Ham. by culturing nodal segments. The explants were washed, sterilized with HgCl2 and inoculated on semi-solid Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing various concentrations and combinations of plant growth regulators (PGRs). Shoot bud initiation was observed after one week and 8.6 ± 0.32 shoots (per explant) harvested after five weeks on MS medium with 4.0 mg l− 1 concentration of 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP). The regenerated shoots were further multiplied on semi-solid MS medium augmented with 2.0 mg l− 1 BAP + 1.0 mg l− 1 Kinetin (Kin). Maximum 24.5 ± 0.34 shoots per explant was obtained after five weeks on this media combination. The long (4–5 cm) and healthy shoots were rooted in vitro with 100% success rate on half strength MS medium + 1.0 mg l− 1 indole-3 butyric acid (IBA). Rooting and acclimatization were achieved simultaneously by ex vitro rooting method using 200 mg l− 1 IBA for 5 min with very good success rate (28.67 ± 05.51 roots per shoot with 100% response). The rooted shoots were transferred to the greenhouse for acclimatization for 4–5 weeks. The hardened plantlets were finally shifted to the field for further growth in the natural conditions after another five weeks. This is the first report on micropropagation of M. coreia, which can be successfully used for the large-scale multiplication and conservation of germplasm of this important medicinal plant.