Effects of different types of seed in <i>Agave fourcroydes</i> Lem. variety `Sac Ki' propagation over indicators related to the growth in nursery

Abstract

A study was conducted during 15 months under nursery conditions, with the objective to evaluate the effect of different types of seed (in vitro grown plants (V), bulbils of in vitro plants (BV), rhizomes of in vitro plants (RV), bulblets of field plants (BPC) and rhizomes of field plants (RPC) in the propagation of the henequen (Agave fourcroydes Lem.) over indicators related to the growth in the nursery. The indicators evaluated were: plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, daytime oscillation of the titratable acidity, soluble carbohydrates and reducing sugars content. The results indicate that despite of not showing significant differences in height between BPCs and postures derived from in vitro plants (RV and BV), the latter reached a greater development due to their bigger capacity to accumulate and consume titratable acid and to achieve superior content of reducing sugars and total soluble carbohydrates. It was demostrated that the height is influenced by the type of seed that is used in the henequen propagation of moreover the physiological and biochemical indicators related to the development suggest that postures derived from in vitro plants (RV e BV) showed a better response to the biological efficiency. Keywords: henequen, in vitro plant, postures, titrable acid