Effect of monochromatic led illumination on the in vitro growth of gaharu (Aquilaria malaccensis) on in vitro conditions

¹ Biology Department Faculty of Science and Data Analytics, Surabaya Indonesia
² PTBA (PT Bukit Asam, Tanjung Enim, South Sumatera Indonesia )
³ Faculty of Bioscience and Engineering, Ghent University, Belgium

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the influence of culture media supplemented with plant growth regulators and different monochromatic LED light spectra on the morphological growth of agarwood (Aquilaria malaccensis) under in vitro conditions. The experiment was conducted using half-strength Murashige and Skoog (MS ½) basal medium supplemented with 3 mg/L indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and 1 g/L activated charcoal, combined with five monochromatic LED light spectra: red, yellow, blue, green, and white as control. The culture conditions were maintained under a photoperiod of 16 h light and 8 h dark, at an incubation temperature of 25 ± 2 °C, with the medium pH adjusted to 5.8 prior to sterilization. Growth parameters observed included plant height, number of leaves, number of roots, root length, and fresh weight. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Duncan’s Multiple Range Test (DMRT). The result indicated blue light was the most effective treatment for stimulating root development (number and length) and enhancing biomass accumulation (fresh weight), while white light was optimal for promoting plant height. These findings suggest that the combination of MS ½ medium supplemented with IBA and activated charcoal, together with the use of specific LED spectra, particularly blue and white, can optimize in vitro propagation techniques of agarwood and improve the efficiency of high-quality seedling production.