ABSTRACT
Berberis buxifolia is a native shrub of Patagonia with a great importance due to its crop production as soon its medicinal and tinctorial applications. The aim of this work was to develop a protocol for in vitro propagation of B. buxifolia, with special emphasys on the rooting stage. The culture of the explants on Murashige and Skoog (1962) medium added with 0.55 microM BA allowed to attain a multiplication rate of 1:4.7 at day 63. Rooted shoots were obtained on Murashige and Skoog medium with half strength of macronutrient salts. The culture of the shoots with a period of 4 days of darkness at the beginning of the rooting, on a medium with 1.25 microM IBA for 7 days, followed by a IBA free medium until day 28, allowed to attain 80 rooting. These results show that B. buxifolia can be in vitro propagated.
Subject(s)
Magnoliopsida , Darkness , Plant Shoots , Plants, Medicinal , Plant Roots/growth & development , Reproduction, Asexual , Time FactorsABSTRACT
Several mineral compounds influence adventitious rooting, and those containing boron and calcium, play an important role. They are associated to the enzyme regulation, cell division, cellular metabolism (induction stage) and roots enlargement (expression stage). The aims of this work were to study the variation of the endogenous calcium and boron concentrations along the rooting, and determine their optimal concentrations in the rooting basal medium of Nothofagus nervosa. Significant variation in endogenous calcium concentrations was detected along the rooting phase, strongly correlated with rhizogenesis phenomenons and linked to total peroxidase variation as cited elsewhere. Calcium and boron concentrations in the basal medium significantly affected the rooting. Treatment containing 60 mg.L-1 Ca and 1 mg.L-1 B produced root formation in fewer days than other combinations. The variation of these nutrient concentrations in the medium is a useful tool to improve microcutting rooting. Roots are obtained earlier and in a shorter period of time, finally resulting in more homogeneous microplants with a better developed rooting system.