Micropropagation of Crambe Abyssinica Hochst. Ex R.E. Fr.

Abstract

Crambe abyssinica Hochst. Ex. R. E. Fr. is an oilseed species that produces non-edible oil, initially employed in Brazil as a culture for soil surface coverage and animal feed. However, with stimulation of the production and use of renewable energies, it arose as an interesting alternative for biodiesel production. The aim of this work was to describe a protocol for micropropagation of crambe, using apical segments as explants. Crambe seeds germinated in vitro in medium MS½ provided apical segments adequate to the micropropagation process. In the shoot induction phase, testing the interaction of the cytokinins 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), kinetin (KIN) and thidiazuron (TDZ) as well as different concentrations thereof, the highest numbers of shoots per explant were obtained with 5 µM BAP at 30 days (9.26 shoots) and 15 µM BAP at 60 days (18.08 shoots) of in vitro culture. In the elongation with 1 µM gibberellic acid (GA 3 ), the mean length of the shoots turned from 3.61 cm to 5.03 cm after 30 days. The highest percentage of rooting was of 30% with 0.25 µM naphthalene-acetic acid (NAA). The results of this work revealed a satisfactory frequency of shoot regeneration from apical segments of crambe in media containing 5 µM BAP, and adequate elongation with 1 µM GA 3 . Nevertheless, there is still need for efficient rooting and acclimatization for complete in vitro propagation of crambe.