Abstract

CASTANEDA-CASTRO, Odón et al. Nutritional status and growth of sugarcane vitroplants in response to growth regulators. Terra Latinoam [online]. 2009, vol.27, n.3, pp.177-185. ISSN 2395-8030.

We analyzed the influence of auxins and cytokinins on the nutrient content and plant growth in sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) vitroplants, variety ITV 92-1424. Two factors (auxin, as indolacetic acid or AIA, and cytokinin, as kinetin or KIN) at five levels each (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 mg L^-1) in Murashige and Skoog medium were tested in a completely randomized experiment with factorial arrangement 5². The number and size of shoots and the concentration of macro and micronutrients were determined four weeks after the applications of treatments. Data were analyzed using SAS statistical software and means were compared by Tukey test (P ≤ 0.05). For the AIA factor, 0.5 mg L^-1 caused the highest concentrations of P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Mn. KIN significantly increased P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, Mn, Na, and B concentration, and the highest values were observed with 1 and 1.5 mg L^-1 concentrations. The interaction of 0.0 and 0.5 mg L^-1 AIA with 0.5 and 1.5 mg L^-1 KIN significantly affected P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn, and Na concentration. AIA showed the strongest effect on adventitious shoot formation when added at low levels (0.5 mg L^-1). KIN did not affect number and size of shoots. Interaction of both factors increased the number of adventitious shoots when AIA was not added or added at low levels in combination with low and high levels of KIN. We conclude that both nutritional status and shoot formation in sugarcane are significantly affected by the addition of AIA and KIN to the culture medium and the concentrations of these regulators in the medium.

Keywords : in vitro plant nutrition; Saccharum; auxins; cytokinins.