Seasonality in rooting of Prosopis chilensis cuttings and in-vitro micropropagation

Seasonality in rooting of cuttings and its relationship with some environmental conditions and growth parameters of Prosopis chilensis (Mol. Stunz) were studied. It was observed that rooting could be induced in cuttings taken from field collections only during the dry season, the period corresponding to the highest vegetative growth and reproductive activity (September to March); however, percentages did not exceed 15%. The rooting response does not occur during the dormant period (May to September). When using cuttings from clonal material growing in the glasshouse, rootings exceeding 80% were obtained in liquid aerated media.

In-vitro micropropagation was assessed in P. chilensis using nodal and apical segments collected both from the field and from clonal material and plantlets grown from seed in the glasshouse. Juvenile material gave an 80% regeneration rate of complete plants in Murashige-Skoog medium fortified with 5 mg naphtaleneacetic acid 1⁻¹ and 10 mg cysteine 1⁻¹. In this same medium, the regenerative response of segments obtained from rooted cuttings was 60%. The material collected from the field showed no rooting responses.