Optimización del proceso de enraizamiento in vitro de arándano (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) cultivar Biloxi

Abstract

Blueberries have gained popularity owing to their health benefits. Ecuador, with more hours of sunlight and the absence of time zones, offers a favorable environment for enhancing and expanding these crops. However, there are significant obstacles to the limited and expensive availability of plant materials. This problem arises because conventional propagation cannot cope with the demand for plants owing to the difficult rooting of explants caused by physical and physiological stress. In this context, plant micropropagation is a viable solution. This technique allows large-scale seedlings to be obtained from cuttings, thereby overcoming the limitations of conventional propagation. Therefore, this research aims to optimize the in vitro rooting process of blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) Biloxi variety. To achieve this, we will evaluate disinfection treatments, culture media, and phytohormone levels. The objective was to facilitate ex vitro establishment and meet the growing demand for plants. The best disinfection treatment was 2 percent sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) for 15 min. Under these conditions, 9 percent contamination, 91 percent viability, and 7 percent oxidation were observed. In addition, treatments with WPM yielded better results, with an average of eight leaves and a shoot length of 1,409 cm. In addition, 84 percent rooting was evident, with an average root length of 3.24 cm and 11.76 roots per explant using 1.5 mg per L of the phytohormone AIB.