Abstract

In plant biotechnology, the use of in vitro culture of cells and tissues, offers the massive multiplication of a great diversity of plants, and dispose of those with excellent qualities from the phytosanitary point of view in addition to maintaining the characteristics of its genetic base. In nopal, for its high cellulose content, its use has now been directed as a successful alternative in the production of biofuels. The spread of nopales in a conventional way has been affected by the spread of serious phytopathological problems, including the onset of virous diseases. Therefore it was proposed as objectives, evaluates an in vitro protocol for the mass multiplication of nopal (Opuntia ficus-indica L), in order to apply it in different select opuntia materials, evaluate the effect of both cytokinins and auxins, estimated by a potential scale of plant production, and subsequently the sub-cultivation of areoles. Evaluating the effect of two cytokines and auxins in a basic MS medium, more vitamins and 9 different treatments combining 0.0, 2.0, 4.0 and 6.0 mg.L^-1 kinetine (K) and Benciladenine (BA) and 0.0, 0.2, 0.4 and 2.0 mg.L^-1 of naphthalen acetic acid (ANA) and indolacetic acid,(AIA) plus a witness treatment without regulators. The explants were incubated and maintained at a temperature of 25o C and a luminous intensity of 27.02 m.m^-2s^-1, under a photoperiod of 16 light hours and 8 dark, for 16 weeks. The results obtained indicate that the culture medium supplemented with 2.0 mgL^-1 BA+0.2 mgL^-1 ANA significantly favor the production of 6 new shoots per cultivated explant, obtaining up to 1296 plants per year. The plants obtained 

Keywords

propagation, growth regulators, nopal, in vitro