Resumen

ALVA T, Sandra; OROPEZA C, Maira  y  VARGAS C, Teresa Edith. Root organogenesis in geranium. Agronomía Trop. [online]. 2006, vol.56, n.4, pp.571-576. ISSN 0002-192X.

The induction of roots by in vitro culture techniques is proposed as a method for the procurement of secondary metabolites from different plants species under aseptic conditions. For geranium, highly appreciated for its medicinal value, this represents an alternative. In Pelargonium peltatum the induction of roots was obtained culturing different explants on MS (1962) medium, supplemented with thiamine (0,4 mg l^-1), myo-inositol (100 mg l^-1), sucrose (30 g l^-1), ascorbic acid (100 mg l^-1), cysteine (50 mg l^-1), different growth regulators combinations, solidified with agar (8 g l^-1) and incubated under white fluorescent lamp. Hormonal combinations used for each explant were: for leaf segments Kinetine (K, 5 mg l^-1) + Naphtalenacetic acid (NAA, 1 mg l^-1); for nodal segments, K (8 mg l^-1) + ANA (1 mg l^-1);for microcuttings 6-Benzylaminopurine (BA, 0,5 mg l^-1); and BA (2 mg l^-1) + Indoleacetic acid (IAA, 0,2 mg l^-1). Under these conditions, callus tissue formation was observed for all treatments at the first week of in vitro culture. Three months later, development of hairy roots was observed on explants, finding the major percentage (73%) of explants with calluses for leaf segments cultured on SH medium, while, calluses originated from microcuttings cultured on ME1 medium showed the highest hairy root development (100%).

Palabras clave : Callus; root; in vitro culture; Pelargonium peltatum.