Effect of Different Basal Media and Organic Supplements on In Vitro Seedling Development of the Endangered Orchid Species Dendrobium moniliforme (L.) Swartz

Abstract

The orchid Dendrobium moniliforme faces endangerment due to habitat loss and illegal harvesting, necessitating the development of an optimized artificial propagation system to aid conservation and reintroduction efforts. This study evaluated the effects of three plant growth media, namely Murashige and Skoog (MS), Hyponex, and Orchid Maintenance Medium (OMM) (P668), and various organic additives (apple homogenate, banana homogenate, and coconut water) on the in vitro seedling growth of D. moniliforme. The results reveal that, in early postgermination stages, seedlings achieve maximum growth in the Hyponex medium, with a fresh weight (92 mg) and root length (2.7 cm) approximately 20-fold greater than those in the MS medium and OMM. After 6 months, for seedlings grown in MS medium and OMM with banana (50 g·L−1), the mean fresh weights were 29 and 107 mg, respectively; however, the highest biomass was observed in seedlings grown in the Hyponex medium with coconut water (50 mL·L−1), exhibiting a mean fresh weight of 201 mg. This study highlights Hyponex medium with coconut water as the most effective combination for promoting D. moniliforme growth and identifies suitable organic supplements for the in vitro cultivation of seedlings from asymbiotic seed culture. This propagation system offers valuable technical support for the mass production and conservation of this epiphytic orchid.