Articles
IN VITRO PROPAGATION OF SOME TILLANDSIOIDEAE (BROMELIACEAE)
The purpose of this work was to investigate their nutritional and physiological requirements.
Starting from sterilized seeds, it was possible to define optimal conditions for germination, growth, multiplication of plantlets and re-establishment to soil culture.
The following factors were considered: agar solidified or liquid media, inorganic salt composition of Knudson versus Murashige and Skoog prescriptions; sugar concentration; growth substances (auxins, cytokinins and gibberellic acid).
Good propagation results were obtained for seedlings of Guzmania lingulata var. minor, Tillandsia polystachya, Vriesea heliconioides, Vriesca splendens and Vricsea ‘Meyers’ Favoriet’.
In order to prevent continuing axillary shoot proliferation special attention was paid to the pretransplant stage.
Therefore, a supplementary culture on an auxin containing medium was necessary.
After the first year in soil culture of a batch of several hundreds of plants of Vriesea ‘Meyers Favoriet’, originally propagated in vitro, no mutations in growth habit were observed.