CHEMICAL STERILIZATION AND ALTERNATIVE GELLING AGENTS IN THE IN VITRO VEGETATIVE PROPAGATION OF PINEAPPLE ‘VITÓRIA’

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of chemical sterilization of the culture medium and alternative gelling agents and their influence ondevelopment in vitro and ex vitro plants of pineapple ‘Vitória’. The culture medium used was composed of MS salts and White vitamins, with 30 g L^-1 of sucrose and 100 mg L^-1 of myo-inositol. Two forms of sterilization of themedia culture and the glassware were performed: in autoclave at 121°C and with solution of sodium hypochlorite(NaClO) at 0.003% to rinse the glassware and 0.0003% in the culture medium. The gelling agents tested were: M1: agar (6.0 g L^-1); M2: corn starch (60.0 g L^-1); M3: agar (3.0 g L^-1) + corn starch (30.0 g L^-1) and M4: agar (3.0 g L^-1) + cassava starch(30.0 g L^-1). After 30 days of in vitro cultivation was found thatthe NaClO and alternative gelling agents did not affect the growth and development of plantlets. Part of the plantlets of each treatment was acclimatized during 90 days, after which it was found that there was no influence ofgelling agents on plantlets growth. For most of the parameters evaluated, the plantlets derived from treatments involving the chemical sterilization showed results similar or superior to the autoclaved media.

Index terms
Ananas comosus var. comosus; sodium hipochlorite; corn starch; cassava starch; micropragation