MICROPROPAGAÇÃO DA CANA-DE-AÇÚCAR
Sugarcane is cultivated in almost all Brazilian agricultural regions, Brazil being the world's largest producer, which requires breeding programs to create more productive and efficient varieties adapted to each region. In sugarcane breeding programs there is a need, under certain circumstances, to multiply the selected material rapidly. In this scenario, micropropagation appears as an alternative to the conventional process of vegetative propagation through stalks. The objective of this review was to describe the scenario on micropropagation research in sugarcane, such as meristem culture, sugarcane calli, somatic embryogenesis, in vitro germplasm conservation and cryopreservation. It has been observed in the literature that there is a wide spectrum of use for the numerous and well established protocols for the in vitro manipulation of sugarcane morphogenesis. The prospect of producing new features via induction of somaclonal variation and in vitro experimentation for pest and disease tolerance has not yet been extensively explored. While benefits of minimal growth are recognized in in vitro germplasm conservation of elite sugarcane cultivars, and all positive potential of this technique and cryopreservation may still 323 Colloquium Agrariae, vol. 13, n. Especial, Jan–Jun, 2017, p. 322-338 ISSN: 1809-8215. DOI: 10.5747/ca.2017.v13.nesp.000237 be expanded. On the other hand, techniques in the mass production of superior and pathogenfree genotypes have already been integrated in many sugarcane breeding programs.