Effect of Ethylene Inhibitors on In Vitro Shoot Multiplication and their Impact on Ethylene Production in Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.)

Effects of ethylene inhibitors like silver nitrate $(AgNO_3)$, cobalt chloride $(CoCl_2)$ and Salicylic acid (SA) on multiple shoot induction and their impact on ethylene production using embryonal cotyledon cultures of Cucumis sativus L. were examined. The optimum concentration of $AgNO_3\;(40{\mu}M),\;CoCl_2\;(20{\mu}M)\;and\;SA\;(20{\mu}M)$, separately, induced maximum number of shoots on Murashige and Skoog's (MS) medium supplemented optimally with $4.44{\mu}M$ BA and $0.25{\mu}M$ NAA. Among the three ethylene inhibitors tested, $AgNO_3$ produced maximum number of shoots when compared to $CoCl_2$ and SA Ethylene production was monitored in all the treatments with $AgNO_3/CoCl_2/SA$ and it was observed that the treatment with $AgNO_3$ alone showed increase in ethylene production when compared to $CoCl_2$ and SA Even though ethylene concentration was the highest in $AgNO_3$ treated explants, maximum number of shoots was obtained.