In vitro multiplication of Agave cocui Trelease through axillary buds

Abstract

The cocuy, Agave cocui Trelease is an important crop for the semiarid zones of the central-west part of Venezuela. It is involved in a traditional production system for liquor, soap, preserves, among others. Normally, the production was based on naturally occurring plants, so the supply of plants is limited. In order to increase plant supply and improve the economical activity of these rural communities, asexual propagation systems have been implemented with a slow growth rate and plant production not enough to satisfy the demand. A mass propagation system using axillary buds have been established. Buds were placed on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with thiamine (1mg l-1), nicotinic acid (1mg l-1), pyridoxine HCl (1mg l-1), inositol (100mg l-1), BA (1mg l-1), ANA (1mg l-1) sucrose (30 g l-1) and Agar (5g l-1). Forty explants were cultured in 10ml of culture medium, and were placed in the dark for 7 days. Buds were placed under fluorescent light (16.95 W.m-2), at 28±2 °C and a 16 hr photoperiod. Shoots were observed 1 month after culture, an average of 6 shots were observed for each cultured axillary bud. Sprouting ratio was increased when temperatures were increased to 40 °C. Complete plants were obtained by transferring shoots to medium with no hormones. Transplant to soil (1:1:1 soil:sand:coconut sawdust) allowed plants to be acclimatized in 1 week. All plants have normal morphology. As a conclusion, axillary bud in vitro culture can be referred to as an efficient method to propagate A. cocui Trelease