In vitro culture of Vriesea gigantea and Vriesea philippocoburgii: two vulnerable bromeliads native to Southern Brazil

Abstract

Micropropagation studies were carried out using the seeds for establishing an in vitro culture of Vriesea gigantea and Vriesea philippocoburgii. Germination rate of V. gigantea was higher than of V. philippocoburgii. Plantlets of V. philippocoburgii gave rise to many adventitious shoots when cultivated in Knudson basal medium. In contrast, for V. gigantea, a higher salts-concentration was needed, so that the number of shoots was increased by Murashige and Skoog medium. Addition of activated charcoal and naphthaleneacetic acid in regeneration medium allowed the growth of shoots and the formation of roots, confirming the success of in vitro culture. The differences in expression of the genotypes reinforce the need of more research in order to set up the conditions that could offer the best response of the specific tissues.