The initiation of Echinocactus mihanovichii, Echinopsis chamaecereus F. Lutea and Aylostera heliosa vitrocultures

Authors: Teodora Iuliana VIDICAN¹*, Dorina CACHIŢĂ-COSMA², Julieta-Emilia ROMOCEA¹

Affiliation: ¹ University of Oradea, Romania; ² “Vasile Goldis” Western University, Arad, Romania

Read full article

ABSTRACT. The multiplication of cacti is difficult, especially in chlorophyllien-deficient species. To facilitate the multiplication of cacti species: Echinocactus mihanovichii (red cactus) Echinopsis chamaecereus f. lutea (yellow cactus) and Aylostera heliosa (green cactus) by vitrotechniques, we used spheroid buds as explants, taken from adult stems. This explants were inoculated on a basic medium culture with Murashige-Skoog (1962) macroelements, end Fe EDTA, Heller (1953), end microelements. Added in the medium were the vitamins: HCl thiamine, HCl pyridoxine and nicotinic acid, each 1 mg / l, 100mg / l meso-inositol, to which – depending on the organized experimental variant – growth regulators were added, such as:  1 mg / l benzyladenine (BA), or 1 mg / l β-indolil-butyric acid (AIB), or a mixture – in equal parts – among them. The vitrocultures evolution was observed for a period of 90 days. The reaction of explants cultivated “in vitro” was different depending on the species with which was worked and on the nature of growth regulator present in the culture medium. Finally, inoculums of Echinocactus mihanovichii and those of Echinopsis chamaecereus f. lutea showed a caulogenesis phenomena; in time, the initial explant presented necrosis. Aylostera heliosa explants were better adapted to “in vitro” micropropagation, but they generated callus, largely hyperhydric. The largest morphogenesis, in general, has been manifested in the growing medium with a mixture of BA and AIB, 1mg / l of each. In general, risogenesis was absent.

Keywords: cactuses, vitroculture, hyperhydria