IN VITRO PROPAGATION OF Alstroemeria var. ‘FIESTA DE 15 INTA’ FROM RHIZOME MERISTEMS

Abstract

Alstroemeria (Alstroemeriaceae) is a genus endemic to South America. Its species, which are distributed from Venezuela to Argentina and Chile, have a high impact on the ornamental plant market because of the color and attractive shape of their flowers. In vitro culture of meristems increases the efficiency of plant propagation and quality by contributing to the cleaning of systemic diseases. The present study aimed to develop an efficient protocol for rhizome meristems culture of Alstroemeria hybrida var. Fiesta de 15 INTA with the addition of growth regulators bencilaminopurine (BAP) and naftalenacetic acid (NAA) to a base culture medium. Whole plants, leaf production, shoot and root length, callus formation, necrosis and mortality of explants planted on MS; MS + 1 mg L-1 BAP; MS + 0.2 mg L-1 NAA; and MS + 0.2 mg L-1 NAA + 1 mg L-1 BAP were evaluated. An analysis of variance and evaluation of differences between means were performed by the Tukey test, which indicated that an efficient method for the micropropagation of Alstroemeria var. Fiesta de 15 INTA consists of MS supplemented with 0.2 mg L-1 NAA. This procedure resulted in a greater shoot (aerial) and root (radical)growth and, consequently, in a higher number of whole plants as well as a high plant
survival rate after transfer to the greenhouse.