IN VITRO PROPAGATION OF ASTRAGALUS NITIDIFLORUS (LEGUMINOSAE), AN ENDEMIC AND ENDANGERED SPECIES FROM SOUTH-EAST OF SPAIN

In vitro shoot culture has been applied to the conservation of Astragalus nitidiflorus Jiménez & Pau (Leguminosae), a species endemic to Cartagena (Murcia) that was considered extinct until a new and small population was rediscovered a few years ago.
Shoots isolated from in vitro germinated seedlings were used as primary explants.
The establishment of the plant material to the in vitro culture conditions was better when MS medium was used.
Shoot production was tested using MS medium supplemented with different concentrations of BA and Kin for 5 weeks.
The best proliferation was obtained with 0.1 mg/L BA. Good elongation was obtained with the application of a double layer system.
Moreover, 50 g/L sucrose in the liquid supplement provided the best response as regards leaf number, shoot number and rooting.
The highest rooting percentage (46.7%) was obtained by using an inductive rooting medium with 0.5 mg/L IAA for four days and an expression medium containing 1/2MS and 0.9 g/L activated charcoal.

III International Symposium on Acclimatization and Establishment of Micropropagated Plants

M. Cano-Castillo, F. Serrano-Martínez, J.L. Casas

micropropagation, conservation, biodiversity, double-layer system

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2009.812.79