Application of Horticultural and Tissue Culture Methods for Ex Situ Conservation of Endangered Primula farinosa L.

Ewa Sitek,Krzysztof Kapała,Michał Fecowicz,Barbara Nowak,Zbigniew Gajewski,Barbara Kozik-Dąbek,Piotr Dańda

doi:10.5586/asbp.8913

Abstract

Our study aimed at active conservation of the last location of Primula farinosa, an endangered species in Poland, and assessed reproduction by seeds and plant propagation on sterile media in tissue culture conditions. We identified gibberellic acid (GA3) as the key factor stimulating germination of P. farinosa seeds. Growing juvenile plants under controlled temperature of 18/16 °C day/night yielded good quality plant material without mycorrhization. In tissue culture, the most favorable medium for shoot propagation was MS supplemented with the lowest tested concentration of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA; 0.05 mg dm−3) and 6-benzyl-aminopurine (BAP; 0.1 mg dm−3). The rooting ability of shoots was high and comparable for all auxins used. 2C DNA content of seed-derived and micropropagated plants did not indicate any change in the ploidy level during in vitro cultivation. Plants derived from seeds and tissue cultures were compared in a 2-year study. Of all the characteristics compared, only the number of flowers per inflorescence was lower for micropropagated plants when compared with the seed-origin plants in the first year of observation. The difference was of transient nature and was not observed in the second year of the study. Effective protocols for in vivo and in vitro propagation of P. farinosa were developed, which can be used in practical species protection.

Highlights

8% of global plant species are threatened with extinction
Active protection of P. farinosa in Poland has been advocated for a long time (Kaźmierczakowa, 2000), and this plant is included in a group of 20 domestic species for which restitution of wild populations is most justified (Ziarnek, 2017)
The most effective propagation of P. farinosa occurred on the medium with the lowest concentration of growth regulators

Summary

Introduction

8% of global plant species are threatened with extinction. This is one of the environmental consequences of increasing human population and urbanization that has led to habitat loss and fragmentation, overexploitation, alien species invasion, pollution, and climate change (Chapin et al, 2000; Miller et al, 2012). It is generally accepted that the primary conservation strategy should focus on populations in their natural habitats, i.e., in situ conservation (Volis, 2017). For many species this method is insufficient, and ex situ actions are introduced, which provide a second line of security for rare plants by allowing specimens to be grown in the absence of natural environmental challenges (Burney & Burney, 2009).

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