In Vitro Propagation of Easter Island <i>Curcuma longa</i> from Rhizome Explants Using Temporary Immersion System
2021
María José Marchant | Paula Molina | Miriam Montecinos | Leda Guzmán | Cristobal Balada | Claudia Fassio | Mónica Castro
<i>Curcuma longa</i> (<i>C. longa</i>) is widely known for its medicinal properties. However, the potential overexploitation of this plant raises doubts about its long-term survival on Rapa Nui. Micropropagation using a temporary immersion system (TIS) could be the basis for developing a cost-effective and highly productive method of large-scale cultivation of this plant. Our objective was to develop and refine the in vitro multiplication system for mass propagation of <i>C. longa,</i> and thus help restore the fragile ecosystem of Rapa Nui. Three parameters were evaluated: number of explants per flask, flask capacity, and LEDs spectrum. For each parameter evaluated, four aspects were analyzed: fresh weight per plant, number of shoots, percentage of non-sprouting explants, and the proliferation rate. The use of 30 explants per two-liter flask results in more plants with high fresh biomass than other configurations. In addition, LEDs with a red:blue ratio of 2:1 provided the best lighting conditions for in vitro propagation and positively affected <i>C. longa</i> proliferation and rooting. Therefore, our results show that 30 explants per two-liter flask and an LED source with a red:blue ratio of 2:1 allow a higher number of <i>C. longa</i> plants to be obtained using TIS.
Show more [+] Less [-]AGROVOC Keywords
Bibliographic information
This bibliographic record has been provided by Directory of Open Access Journals