Shoots of Agave nussaviorum García-Mend. rooted by varying inorganic salts, IBA and incubation

Abstract

In Oaxaca, Mexico, populations of Agave nussaviorum are declining and micropropagation is proposed in addition to the use of conventional methods. This work aimed to evaluate the effect of the concentration of inorganic salts and indole-butyric acid in the culture medium, as well as the incubation environment, to root shoots in vitro. In vitro cultured shoots were transferred for rooting to nine culture medium variants that differed in the concentration of inorganic salts of the culture medium (60, 80 and 100%) and indole-butyric acid (0, 0.5 and 1 mg L^-1) in a factorial design with nine treatments. For 28 days, all cultures were incubated in the laboratory with LED lighting and the percentage of shoots with roots was evaluated. From day 29 onwards, half of the cultures in each variant of culture medium were separated to incubate them for 21 days exposed to solar radiation reduced by 40% by shade mesh in a greenhouse, while the rest continued in incubation with LED lamps in the laboratory. At the end of the first period, the highest percentage, 83.3% of shoots with roots, was in the culture medium with 60% inorganic salts and 0.5 mg L^-1 of indole-butyric acid. At the end of the second period, all shoots had adventitious roots under the following conditions: culture medium with 60% salts and 0.5 or 1 mg L^-1 indole-butyric acid incubated in the laboratory; culture medium with 60% inorganic salts and 1 mg L^-1 indole-butyric acid incubated in a greenhouse; culture medium with 100% inorganic salts and 0.5 mg L^-1 indole-butyric acid incubated in a greenhouse.