<em>In vitro</em> establishment of <em>Bambusa vulgari</em>s var vulgaris Schrad. ex Wendl. in different seasons of the year

Abstract

Traditional propagation of Bambusa vulgaris var. vulgaris Schrad. ex Wendl is affected by low percentages of rooting and limited availability of propagules. These elements are handicaps for mass propagation of bamboos. Tissue culture offers a fast and reliable way to develop propagation protocols via organogenesis directly from axillary buds. The objective of this work was to determine the influence of the season to select the initial explant for the in vitro establishment. Two establishments were carried out each month during a whole year (24 at all). The number of buds sprouted and the number of explants free of visible microbial contaminants were quantified after 20 days of culture. Results showed that the season influenced on the in vitro establishment of B. vulgaris var. vulgaris. The highest numbers of buds sprouted (99%) and explants free visible of microbial contaminants (98%) was achieved between January to April and November-December. Keywords: bamboo, tissue culture, survival