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Turmeric is a very valuable plant as a condiment, dye and due to its medicinal properties. Despite results achieved in in vitro propagation, rates of in vitro establishment and multiplication are low. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of bud length, physical state of culture medium and concentration of inorganic salts and growth regulators on the in vitro establishment and multiplication of turmeric. Buds taken from main rhizomes were used in the establishment. They were disinfected, several layers of leaf primordia were removed and buds were cut into 0.5-0.7 cm, 0.8-1.0 cm and 1.1-1.3 cm. In vitro plants established after 30 days were used for multiplication. Various concentrations of 6-BAP (0.0, 2.0, 4.0, 6.0 mg·l-1) were added to a basal culture medium. Besides, the effect of adding MS salts 25, 50, 75 and 100% (control) and the use of liquid or semisolid culture medium was determined. The values of disinfection and in vitro establishment, referred in literature, for the culture were increased through the use of terminal buds of 0.8-1.0 cm and sodium hypochlorite 2% of active chlorine for 25 minutes. During the in vitro multiplication, values for the number of shoots per explant, length of shoots and number of roots per shoot were similar to those previously referred in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]