Ácido silícico na morfologia de mudas de batata-doce in vitro

Abstract

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) is a vegetable that has great socioeconomic importance for the country. However, its propagation still presents obstacles due to the ease with which phytosanitary problems spread. One of the ways found to reduce this problem was the adoption of the plant tissue culture technique. In general, this technique allowed the expansion of the production of seedlings of different cultures, making it possible to produce on a large scale, in a short period of time and to obtain plants with good phytosanitary conditions. In addition, other studies have also shown that the use of beneficial elements in the culture medium can also contribute against diseases and pests. Silicon, for example, is one such element. This mineral element provides greater resistance to cell walls, reducing water loss and problems with pathogens. Based on this, the objective of this work was to evaluate the development of in vitro sweet potato seedlings var. Italian white added with different concentrations of silicic acid (SiO2.xH2O). The experiment was set up in a completely randomized design, divided into 6 treatments with 15 replications and 2 explants per flask. Flasks with MS culture medium were added with silicic acid according to each treatment (0.0; 0.2; 0.4; 0.6; 0.8; 1.0 g L-1). At 30 days, shoot length (cm), number of leaves, senesced leaves, and fresh and dry mass of shoots and roots (g) were evaluated. Based on the data obtained, there was a significant effect for the number of leaves and dry mass of the aerial part. A reduction in the number of senescent leaves was also verified in the treatments with 0.6 and 0.8 g L-1 of silicic acid in the culture medium. It is concluded that silicic acid contributes to seedling development and decreases leaf senescence in sweet potato seedlings grown in vitro.