Effect of substrates mixtures on conversion phase of <i>Coffea arabica </i>L. cv. `Caturra rojo' plants obtained by somatic embryogenesis

Abstract

The development of somatic embryogenesis of coffee (Coffea spp.) in liquid culture medium is a viable alternative for the propagation of this specie, but high conversion rates are required. The aim of this paper was to determine the effect of substrates elaborated with a mixture of natural zeolite and vermicompost on conversion phase of Coffea arabica L. cv. `Caturra rojo' plants obtained by somatic embryogenesis. Four treatments were used (85% vermicompost -15% zeolite, 75% vermicompost -25% zeolite, 65% vermicompost -35% zeolite, 50% vermicompost -50% zeolite). It was evaluated the plant height, pair leaf number, principal root length, fresh weight and dry weight. It was achieved high survival of plants from somatic embryogenesis in the different treatments, over 89.0%. The mixtures with higher content of vermicompost allowed better results in all the variables evaluated. Keywords: ex vitro adaptation, somatic embryo, vermicompost, zeolite