In strawberry micropropagation, several challenges must be overcome to obtain quality plants and achieve high survival rate to ex vitro acclimatization. In this study, therefore, a set of protocols were evaluated to optimize explant (meristem) disinfection, in vitro growth (multiplication and rooting), and ex vitro acclimatization of strawberry. The results showed that explants treated with 1.0% NaClO for 5 min had a lower percentage of contamination, and achieved a higher percentage of viability, height, and number of leaves. In vitro growth was favored by the use of 1 mg L⁻¹ zeatin, since it allowed greater seedling growth (number of shoots, seedling height, number of leaves, number of roots and root length), and a higher pre-acclimation rate (100%). In the acclimatization phase, plants grown in a substrate composed of compost + peat combined with 4 g of humic acid achieved better response in morphological and physiological variables. In fact, the results of this study could be used to cultivate strawberry plants of the ‘Aroma’ variety with high commercial quality.

The presence of toxic metals such as aluminum is described as a factor that could lead to a significant decrease in crop productivity, particularly for the cultivation of acidophilic plants. In the present study, in vitro cultivation of pineapple was used as a model to evaluate the role of silver nanoparticles (0.005, 0.01, 0.025, 0.05, and 0.1 g L⁻¹ Ag NPs) against the negative effects of aluminum (0, 100, 300, and 500 μM AlCl₃). The results showed that the presence of 0.025 g L⁻¹ Ag NPs stimulated a higher concentration of photosynthetic pigments “a”, “b”, “a + b” and carotenoids in treatments with high levels of AlCl₃. The application of Ag NPs allowed better shoot formation, improved chlorophyll a/b, and total/carotenoid ratios, as well as better levels of proline biosynthesis in response to stress. The synergistic interaction of Ag NPs and AlCl₃ increased the availability and assimilation of mineral elements (K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Mn, and Zn) while decreasing Al translocation. In conclusion, the implementation and validation of Ag NPs in agricultural fields would be revolutionary because they represent a novel alternative for overcoming the limitations imposed by the presence of Al.

Lilies are one of the most important, beautiful, and economically valuable flowers in the world. Lilium is regarded as a popular floral trade cut flower, so viable protocols are needed to provide seed production, multiplication, and preservation. In vitro protocols allow for rapid large-scale production and rejuvenation of planting material, but to be a commercially viable multiplication method, the procedure must allow for rapid production of viable, true-to-type plants quickly. The objective was to evaluate the in vitro production of microbulbs of five lily varieties (Lilium Champion Diamond, Lilium Yellow Diamond, Lilium Batavus, Lilium Hyde Park, and Lilium sp.) using different concentrations of 6-benzylaminopurine (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 1.5, and 2.0mg L⁻¹ BAP) and to determine the commercial quality (flowering) of the plants grown from the seed obtained. Results from the micropropagation phase show Lilium Batavus and Lilium Hyde Park varieties had better in vitro responses, especially when grown with 1.0 and 1.5mg L⁻¹ BAP, respectively. Plants (of all varieties) grown from microbulbs showed positive growth and generally resulted in commercially viable flower production. Finally, the results of this study support the use of bulb scales as an alternative for obtaining vegetative seeds with high potential for lily cultivation.

Vaccinium meridionale is an Andean species of high nutraceutical value whose conventional propagation is limited by its low multiplication rate. In this study, an integrated micropropagation protocol was developed, encompassing in vitro establishment through ex vitro rooting. During the establishment phase, fungal contaminants were identified, detecting genera such as Diaporthe, Fusarium, Colletotrichum and Phoma. In the multiplication phase, the basal media Driver and Kuniyuki (DKW), Woody Plant Medium (WPM) and Murashige and Skoog (MS) were evaluated, supplemented with zeatin (Zea), 2-isopentenyladenine (2iP), meta-topolin (mT) and thidiazuron (TDZ), all applied at equimolar concentrations of 2.5 μM. Morphogenic parameters, photosynthetic pigment content, SPAD index and elemental composition of regenerated tissues were quantified. DKW medium supplemented with Zea or 2iP promoted the formation of 9-10 shoots, with lengths of 2.5-2.9 cm, SPAD values of 35-36, and chlorophyll content >31 μg/mL. The accumulation of P, Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, Cu and Mn in the tissues varied widely among treatments. During rooting, the application of 500 ppm naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) induced the formation of longer roots, as well as vigorous and elongated shoots with a high number of leaves. This optimized protocol provides a valuable tool for the propagation of V. meridionale, with potential applications in conservation, genetic improvement and commercial plant production.

La aplicación de las técnicas de cultivo de tejidos en especies de Vasconcellea es una alternativa viable para la propagación de estas especies. Sin embargo, la eficiencia de estas herramientas está condicionada por factores como la contaminación de explantes, el efecto de los reguladores de crecimiento y las especies que se desea propagar. El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar protocolos de desinfección superficial, con diferentes concentraciones de NaClO y Ca(ClO)2 y tiempos de inmersión, para el establecimiento de explantes. Asimismo, evaluar la acción de las fitohormonas BAP, ANA y AG3 en diferentes concentraciones en la multiplicación in vitro de segmentos nodales de Vasconcellea chachapoyensis y Vasconcellea x heilbornii. Los experimentos se condujeron bajo un diseño completamente al azar con arreglo factorial y los datos se analizaron con la prueba de Kruskal Wallis. Los resultados muestran que al utilizar NaClO al 1,5 % por 10 min se alcanzó solo 10 % de contaminación, siendo V. chachapoyensis la especie que logró mayor viabilidad de explantes en la etapa de establecimiento. Por otro lado, el medio suplementado con BAP generó mayor número de brotes y hojas, mientras que el AG3 indujo mayor elongación de los brotes. Además, cabe mencionar que la especie influyó en la multiplicación, siendo V. x heilbornii la de mejor desarrollo morfológico. Estos resultados señalan la eficacia e importancia de los desinfectantes y reguladores de crecimiento durante el cultivo de tejidos, y representan una alternativa propicia para la micropropagación de especies del género Vasconcellea.

Cacao is a strategic crop in Peru due to its significant socioeconomic impact, driving extensive efforts to collect, characterize, and conserve its genetic diversity. This study aimed to establish phenotypic criteria to differentiate and structure the Cacao Amazonas Perú (CAP) germplasm, thereby providing a foundation for selection and breeding programs. A total of 113 accessions from the INIA Germplasm Bank were evaluated over two consecutive growing seasons using 33 quantitative and 18 qualitative agromorphological descriptors. Data were analyzed through univariate and multivariate approaches. The results revealed substantial phenotypic variability, with coefficients of variation reaching up to 37.5% for fruit-related quantitative traits, all exhibiting high heritability values (>60%). Principal component analysis indicated that the first two components explained 29.3% of the total variance, primarily influenced by fruit and seed descriptors. Hierarchical clustering analysis identified eight phenotypic groups; one cluster exhibited high seed mass and a favorable pod index (17.63), while another showed the highest seed index (1.55 g) and the greatest intragroup distance (7.54). This comprehensive characterization highlights accessions with superior agronomic and bioactive potential, providing a robust framework for parental selection, core collection development, and targeted breeding strategies to enhance cacao competitiveness and resilience under changing climatic conditions.