EFFECT OF PROMOTING COMPOUNDS OF INDIRECT SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS IN THREE Agave SPECIES

Abstract

The Agave genus is one of the largest and most widely used in Mexico, mainly for the production of alcoholic beverages. The species in this genus are characterized by their long-life cycles and limited sexual reproduction, which endangers them and demands the search for an alternative that allows mass multiplication and preservation of these species. Somatic embryogenesis (ES) is emerging as a solution to solve this problem, although it is a complex process that depends on a large number of factors and the development of species-specific protocols. Osmotic stress is one of these factors, a condition that can promote the formation and maturation of somatic
embryos through the application of compounds such as polyethylene glycol (PEG) or abscisic acid (ABA). So far, no studies have been reported on the effect of osmotic stress on somatic embryogenesis in Agave species. In this work we evaluated its effect on the expression and maturation of somatic embryos in Agave angustifolia, A. cupreata and A. salmiana. Its formation was determined using two concentrations of ABA (3 and 9 mg L-1) and two concentrations of PEG (50 and 70 g L-1) in callus obtained from embryonic zygotic axes. Treatments with 9 mg L-1 ABA and 50 g L-1 PEG favored the formation of somatic embryos in the three species evaluated, in addition to the treatment with 70 g L-1 PEG, with which A. angustifolia was obtained. Somatic embryo formation was asynchronous, especially for A. cupreata. Seedling regeneration from somatic embryos was achieved in A. angustifolia, A. cupreata and A. salmiana.