Abstract
ABSTRACT The genus Melocactus (“cabeça-de-frade”) comprises 32 species in Brazil, of which M. glaucescens and M. paucispinus are threatened with extinction. The present work evaluated the effects of different concentrations of Murashige & Skoog (MS, MS/2 and MS/4) culture medium and sucrose (15 g L-1 and 30 g L-1) on in vitro seed germination and plant growth of M. glaucescens and the efficiency of sterilization with sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) on in vitro seed germination and plant growth of M. glaucescens when using seeds and M. glaucescens and M. paucispinus when using apical segment of cladode. In M. glaucescens, the final germination at the different MS and sucrose concentrations varied between 53.5 and 68.1% and the best results for in vitro growth were observed with the lowest mineral salt (MS/2 and MS/4) and sucrose (15 g L-1) concentrations, with lengths of the aerial portion of 9.70 and 10.76 mm, respectively. There was no difference in seed germination and plant growth in chemical and autoclave medium. It is concluded that the use of chemical sterilization with NaOCl at low concentrations of salts (MS/2 and MS/4) and sucrose (15 g L-1) are quite advantageous for producing ornamental plants germinated in vitro and/or apical segment of cladode of M. glaucescens andM. paucispinus, representing a reduction of costs for in vitro cultivation of this species.
Highlights
The genus Melocactus (L.) Link & Otto (Cactaceae), popularly known as melon cactus, or in Brazil as “cabeça-de-frade”, comprises 38 species, of these 32 species and 10 subspecies occur in Brazil, of which 22 and 9, respectively, are endemic to this country (ZAPPI; TAYLOR, 2020)
The present work evaluated the effects of different concentrations of Murashige & Skoog (MS, MS/2 and MS/4) culture medium and different concentrations of sucrose (15 g L-1 and 30 g L-1), on in vitro seed germination and plant growth of M. glaucescens and the efficiency of sterilization with sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) on in vitro seed germination and plant growth of M. glaucescens when using seeds and M. glaucescens and M. paucispinus when using apical segment of cladode
After 120 days, we evaluated the final germination (%), considering the number of plants formed, length of the aerial portion (LAP) and fresh weight of the aerial portion (FWAP), length of the largest root
Summary
The genus Melocactus (L.) Link & Otto (Cactaceae), popularly known as melon cactus, or in Brazil as “cabeça-de-frade”, comprises 38 species, of these 32 species and 10 subspecies occur in Brazil, of which 22 and 9, respectively, are endemic to this country (ZAPPI; TAYLOR, 2020). These species are restricted to highlands of the Chapada Diamantina and adjacent mountain systems in Bahia and Minas Gerais on substrates derived from quartzitic material and sandstone (TAYLOR et al, 2014). Plant tissue culture techniques represent a viable alternative to the conventional propagation of “cabeça-de-frade” species, which grow slowly, require about ten years to reach its reproductive stage, and reproduce exclusively from seeds in their natural habitat, because these species do not ramify or produce lateral shoots unless the plant suffers some injury to both meet commercial demands and help preserve these plants in their natural habitats (MACHADO, 2009; LEMA-RUMIŃSKA; KULUS, 2014; PÉREZ-MOLPHE-BALCH et al, 2015)
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