A study was carried out in the Faculdade de Agronomia da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul to optimize the process of micropropagation of strawberry plants (cultivar Campinas) and to reduce plant losses during acclimatization. The objective of this experiment was to relate plant tissue sucrose levels to biomass production during acclimatization. Strawberry seedlings were grown in vitro, rooted for three weeks under four sucrose levels (15, 30, 45, and 60 g L-1), and transplanted to polyethylene trays bearing 72 cells. The experimental units were arranged in a complete randomized blocks design with five replications. Each plot comprised 36 seedlings and a total of 720 plants. There were evaluated the plant's survival rate (%), growing rate (mg week-1), leaf area (cm²), dry matter (mg) of the above ground plant parts, specific leaf area (cm² mg-1), leaf mass ratio (mg mg-1), and leaf area ratio (cm² mg mg-1). Best ex vitro biomass production, was obtained using 45 g L-1 sucrose rate, in MS medium for growth of Campinas strawberry plants. Also, strawberry seedlings needed three to four weeks to adapt themselves to the new ambient conditions and to resume their growing.
Fragaria X ananassa Duch.; growth evaluation; biomass; sucrose
