Micropropagation of Zantedeschia spp.: optimization of productive process
The production of flowers is a great potential to the Brazilian Agribusiness. However, to have access to the competitive
market of flowers it is necessary to win some barriers. One of these barriers is the inexistence of efficient protocols for
micropropagation of healthy seedlings by low cost. The aim of this work was the optimization of the productive process for
scale up micropropagation of cultivar Neroli. Thus, were used the following systems of culture media sterilization: 1)
traditional system using autoclave and glasses pots and 2) semi-automated system in which the culture medium is sterilized
in the special machine and after distributed in two different plastic pots already sterilized by plasma process: pot with filter
inserted on the caps and pot without filter insert on the caps. Explants sterilization protocols, technology for meristem tips
isolation, nutricional composition of culture medium, phytoregulators concentration were tested. The development of
semi-automated system proposed under optimal benzylaminopurine concentration (BAP- 1mg/L) and the use of plastic
pots with filter insert on the caps increased the efficiency of the micropropagation process measured by the average length
of the seedlings (5.75 ± 0.22), the average number of shoots obtained by explants (2.56 ± 0.25) and average number of
roots (7.22 ± 0.31 ). The protocol obtained can help in reducing the cost of this ornamental, making it possible commercially.