Assessment of minimum growth conditions for the in vitro conservation of Vernonia condensata

Abstract

This work aims to establish minimum growth conditions for the development of an in vitro conservation protocol for Vernonia condensata Baker, to be used in research and to be inserted in public health service in the Recôncavo da Bahia. Nodal segments of approximately 1.5 cm in size were used, from V. condensata cultivated in vitro beforehand. These explants were inoculated into test tubes containing MS culture medium (MS, MS/2 and MS/4), supplemented with 15 g L^-1 and 30 g L^-1 of sucrose, kept in a growth room (25 ± 1 ºC) and in a BOD (20 ± 1 ºC) for 120 days. Evaluations were carried out at intervals of 30 days of cultivation, using the variables: plant height, number of green leaves, number of senescent leaves and number of roots. The MS with the addition of 15 g L^-1 of sucrose provided the lowest in vitro growth of V. condensata plants. For the maintenance of V. condensata plants for a period of 120 days with lower height and satisfactory number of green leaves, an MS culture medium should be considered with 15 g L^-1 of sucrose associated with a culture environment at a temperature of 25 ºC.