Multiplicacion in vitro de agave cocui trelease a traves de yemas axilares

English. 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 systems for liquor, soap, preserves, among others. It is the economical support of many families in Lara State, Venezuela. Normally, the production was based in naturally occurring plants, so 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 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 thyamine (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 ºC and a 16 hr photoperiod. Shoots were observed 1 months after culture, an average of 6 shoots were observed for each cultured axillary bud. Sprouting ratio was increased when temperatures was increased to 40 ºC. 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 as an efficient method to propagate A. cocui Trelease

Spanish; Castilian. El cocuy, Agave cocui Trelease es importante para las zonas semiaridas del centro-occidente de Venezuela. Involucra sistemas de produccion tradicional de licor, jabon, conservas, entre otros. Soportando economicamente muchas familias en el estado Lara. La produccion se basa en plantas creciendo naturalmente, con suplencia de materia prima limitada. Para aumentar la disponibilidad de plantas e incrementar la actividad economica de estas comunidades rurales, sistemas de propagacion asexual han sido implementados, con una tasa de crecimiento lenta y la produccion de plantas no cubre la demanda. Un sistema de propagacion in vitro usando yemas axilares se ha establecido. Las yemas se colocaron en medio Murashige y Skoog (MS) suplementado con tiamina (1 mg l-1), acido nicotinico (1mg l-1), piridoxina-HCl (1 mg l-1), mio-inositol (100 mg l-1), BA (1 mg l-1), ANA (1 mg l-1) sacarosa (30 g l-1) y Agar (5g l-1). Cuarenta explantes fueron cultivados en 10 ml del medio de cultivo, y sembrados en la oscuridad por 7 dias. Las yemas se transfirieron a luz fluorescente (16,95 W.m-2), 28 ± 2 ºC y fotoperiodo de 16 h. Los brotes fueron evidentes 1 mes posterior al cultivo in vitro, y 6 brotes en promedio se observaron por yema cultivada. La tasa de brotacion aumento cuando la temperatura subio a 40 ºC. Plantas completas se obtuvieron en medio sin hormonas. El transplante a suelo (1:1:1 de suelo:arena: aserrin de coco) permitio la aclimatacion de las plantas en 1 semana. Todas las plantas tuvieron morfologia normal, por lo que el cultivo in vitro de yemas axilares se puede decir es un metodo eficiente para propagar A. cocui Trelease