In vitro Callus and Somatic Embryo Induction of Six Hosta Species Native to Korea

Hosta is a genus of the family Asparagaceae and distributed in East Asia. There are six Hosta species (Hosta capitata (Koidz.) Nakai, H. clausa Nakai, H. jonesii M.G.Chung, H. minor (Baker) Nakai, H. venusta F.Maek., and H. yingeri S.B.Jones) native to Korea and among them, four species (H. minor, H. jonesii, H. venusta and H. yingeri) are endemic to the Korea peninsula. Hosta is generally propagated by seed, crown division or tissue culture. However, tissue culture is a more efficient method to mass proliferation, a new cultivar development and disease-free plantlet production in a limit time. Hence, we conducted this study to evaluate the influence of various plant growth regulators (PGRs) treatments on the induction of callus and somatic embryo of the six Hosta species. Leaf, petiole and root were used to select optimum tissue culture explants. Petiole explants thus only were used for callus induction and somatic embryogenesis with TDZ (0.1, 0.5 or 1.0mg/L) and NAA (0.1 or 0.5 mg/L) combinations. After 12 weeks of culture, the highest rate of somatic embryogenesis was achieved on modificated MS medium containing 1.0 mg/L TDZ and 0.1 mg/L NAA in H. capitata and H. minor (15.5%, respectively), 0.1 or 0.5 mg/L TDZ and 0.1 mg/L NAA in H. jonesii (22.2%), 1.0 mg/L TDZ and 0.5 mg/L NAA in H. yingeri (26.7%), and 0.1 mg/L TDZ and 0.5 mg/L NAA in H. venusta (53.3%). H. clausa showed very low effect on somatic embryogenesis by PGRs; 2.2%. There was interspecies difference to PGRs respond for callus and somatic embryo induction. Regenerated multiple shoots and plantlet of H. minor, H. jonesii, H. venusta and H. yingeri were obtained via somatic embryogenesis.