Development of the prickly pear cactus Opuntia stricta (Haw.) Haw. (Cactaceae) in vitro in response to the replacement of potassium nitrate for a commercial kno 3 fertilizer

ABSTRACT: In micropropagation, potassium nitrate (KNO3), an ACS reagent grade chemical, used in the preparation of growing mediums is expensive and its procurement depends on bureaucratic procedures, as it is controlled by the Brazilian Army. This research to assessed the effect of replacing the ACS KNO3 for a commercially available fertilizer (KNO3- based) on the micropropagation of the prickly pear cactus (Opuntia stricta (Haw.) Haw. cv. Elephant Ear. Treatments used six different fertilizer concentrations (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2 and 2.5 g L-1) and a control consisting of 1.9 g L-1 KNO3, as shown in the MS salts. The survival, size and number of sprouts and the value of fresh biomass were evaluated. After seedling acclimation, we assessed the survival, number of sprouts, length, and number of roots, racket formation, average fresh biomass mass, macronutrient absorption and morphological changes of the seedlings. Explants inoculated with fertilizers at concentrations of 0.0; 2.0 and 2.5 g L-¹ did not grow. The response of explants at concentrations of 0.5 and 1.5 g L-1 of the fertilizer were the same as those developed in a KNO3 medium, and at a concentration of 1.0 g L-1, in all variables, the means were higher than those of the control medium. Therefore, it showed the feasibility of using fertilizers in the in vitro cultivation of the prickly pear cactus, which may remove bureaucratic barriers and reduce product costs by 99.12%.

Download Full-text

Evaluation of eleven Mexican cultivars of prickly pear cactus trees for possibly utilization as animal fed: in vitro gas production

Agroforestry Systems ◽

10.1007/s10457-016-9947-6 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 91 (4) ◽

pp. 749-756 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Paulina Vazquez-Mendoza ◽

Luis A. Miranda-Romero ◽

Gilberto Aranda-Osorio ◽

Juan A. Burgueño-Ferreira ◽

Abdelfattah Z. M. Salem

Keyword(s):

Gas Production ◽

Prickly Pear ◽

In Vitro Gas Production ◽

Prickly Pear Cactus ◽

Pear Cactus

Download Full-text

In Vitro Propagation of Three Moroccan Prickly Pear Cactus Opuntia and Plant Establishment in Soil

Notulae Scientia Biologicae ◽

10.15835/nsb518354 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 39-44 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Aissam EL FINTI ◽

Rachida EL BOULLANI ◽

Naima AIT AABD ◽

Fouad MSANDA ◽

Mohammed A. SERGHINI ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Basal Medium ◽

Prickly Pear ◽

Multiplication Rate ◽

In Vitro Micropropagation ◽

Prickly Pear Cactus ◽

Half Strength ◽

Micropropagated Plants ◽

Large Production ◽

Pear Cactus

Opuntia is one of the most widespread cacti, primarily due to their edible fruit and vegetable mass used as feed. The high demand for young plants of Opuntia made it necessary to find a rapid method of multiplication of the cactus, the safest method consisting in vitro micropropagation of species belonging to this genus. With aim of large production of plant material, a propagation system of three important prickly pear cactus cultivar (Opuntia ficus-indica) in Morocco was developed. Segments of healthy young cladode (containing one areole) were cultivated in Murashige and Skoog medium (MS) containing adenine sulfate (40 mg/1), monosodium phosphate (50 mg/l), sucrose (50 g/l), phytagel (0.3%) and benzyladenine (BA) at 22.2 μM, to start the process of micropropagation. In vitro-developed shoots from areoles were used as secondary explants to induce shoot development in the MS medium with 5 mg/l of BA. All of the three studied cultivars showed an important multiplication rate in this medium. ‘Sidi Ifni M’ (‘Moussa’) cultivar shows the greatest number of shoots followed by ‘Sidi Ifni A’ (‘Aissa’) and ‘Delahia’ 17.26, 14.12 and 12.13 respectively. Rooting of in vitro-generated shoots was achieved most efficiently on half-strength MS basal medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/l of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) or IAA. Rooting frequencies were in the range from 95 to 100% and the highest mean number of root (19.1) was obtained with IBA for ‘Delahia’ cultivar. All micropropagated plants were transferred to greenhouse and all of them survived acclimatization process and showed good overall growth.

Download Full-text