Vegetative propagation of Vanilla borneensis in vivo

Vanilla borneensis is a monopodial climbing orchid that is critically endangered in the areas where it is indigenous to Southeast Asia and commonly found in particular parts of the Malay Peninsula and Peninsular Thailand. Generally, the seeds require a favourable environment or ideal climate for germination. V. borneensis takes about 3-5 years from juvenile (seed germination) to develop into the reproduction phase (vanilla pod production). Considering the issues and potential as an alternative to the other commercial Vanilla spp., a study on the in vivo propagation via stem cutting was conducted to ensure the sustainability of plant resources and provide sufficient planting material for further studies. In the present study, the stem of V. borneensis was sectioned into approximately 30-50 cm in length or 2-5 nodes per cutting. The explants were properly washed and soaked in disinfectant before being planted in the growing medium, 1:1 cocopeat and sand. After 2 weeks of planting, different types (BAP, NAA, GA3) and concentrations (0,5,10,15 mg/L) of plant growth regulators were applied by spraying the explants weekly. Observations were recorded and analysed on the mean percentage of root formation before (B) and after (A) sprayed with treatments, number of roots produced per cutting, root length and percentage of white root production. In this study, treatment with 10 mg/L BAP was recommended for propagation of V. borneensis in vivo which gave better results for all parameters observed. However, further studies should be done by considering the other factors including a longer time frame for observations, selecting older explant sources, increasing the concentrations of plant growth regulators and growing the cuttings in different orientations to validate the findings besides providing sufficient planting materials and primary data for further studies on the propagation of V. borneensis in vivo