Diazotrophic bacteria in the growth of micropropagated ornamental pineapple

Abstract

Ornamental pineapple is a hardy plant with significant landscaping value. Tissue culture of plants is viable for producing plants with a high phytosanitary quality. However, one of the difficulties with this cultivar is the acclimatization process, which is slow and can cause losses. The objective of the present study was to verify the potential of inoculation with diazotrophic bacteria for in vitro and ex vivo growth of ornamental pineapple. A group of diazotrophic bacterial strains selected at the Universidade José do Rosário Vellano (UNIFENAS) was prioritized in this study, and the treatments included bacterial strains UNIFENAS (100-13, 100-60, 100-68, 100-153, 100-167 and 100-198). These strains were evaluated in terms of their capacity to produce indole 3-acetic acid. Subsequently, plants were cultivated in a medium composed of MS medium salts (1/4), adding 1 mL of the bacterial strain. In the control treatment, the plants were maintained in 2 mL of MS medium. 7 days after inoculation, the plants were transplanted into the MS, where they were maintained for 30 days. After in vitro cultivation, the plants were transferred to pots containing commercial Plantmax® substrate and maintained under these conditions for 60 days. The diazotrophic bacteria were able to synthesize auxins, and their inoculation promoted greater growth in vitro and ex vitro in the plants. In the acclimatization phase, the plants inoculated with UNIFENAS strains (100-60, 100-68 and 100-153) promoted a higher shoot growth, chlorophyll content and nitrate reductase enzyme activity.