Evaluation of the Effects of Culture Media and Light Sources on In Vitro Growth of <i>Brassavola nodosa</i> (L.) Lindl. Hybrid

Abstract

Culture medium and light are important factors that affect the process of in vitro propagation of plants. Particularly for orchids, diverse culture media have been evaluated for micropropagation of many species and hybrids. More recently, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have become widely used in agriculture, including micropropagation commercial operations, resulting in increased production and reduced costs compared to traditional fluorescent lights. Brassavola nodosa (L.) Lindl. is an orchid, with great potential for commercialization as a potted flowering plant due to the beauty and fragrance of its inflorescences. In this study, we evaluated the effects of culture media (VW, MS, and ½ MS) and light sources (three LED sources and one fluorescent light source) on the micropropagation of B. nodosa orchids. VW medium resulted in the best growth and development of in vitro shoots compared to MS and ½ MS media. Light sources with lower intensity, such as LED-3 (80 μmol m−2 s−1 PPFD) resulted in the best plant performance in vitro, while LED-2 (1015 μmol m−2 s−1 PPFD) showed the best plant performance ex vitro. Rooting was obtained in vitro without the need for a rooting phase. Survival ex vitro was 100%, with the successful growth and development of in vitro-derived plantlets during acclimatization.

Keywords

• acclimatization
• light intensity and quality
• micropropagation
• orchid
• plant growth and development