In vitro Multiplication of Iraca palm (Carludovica palmata Ruíz & Pavón)

Carludovica palmata Ruíz & Pavón is a plant that belongs to the Cyclanthaceae family. Its commercial interest is related to the production of fibers for the manufacture of handicrafts, mainly the Panama hat, so it is important to study its propagation. This investigation aimed to determine the effect of 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) in the formation of new shoots and 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) in the formation of roots, as well as the adaptation in greenhouse conditions of Carludovica palmata Ruíz & Pavón. In order to find the optimal multiplication rate, 0.5 cm length explants were planted in glass jars with 15 mL of semisolid MS with different concentrations of BAP and cultured under in vitro conditions for 90 days. The multiplication parameters in this stage were number of shoots per explant (NSE), length of shoots (LS), and length of roots (LR) as multiplication parameters. In a similar procedure, the number of roots per explant (NRE), length of roots (LR), and length of plantlets (LP) was determined using different concentrations of NAA. Finally, different substrates were evaluated for the adaptation of plantlets of C. palmata produced in vitro, under greenhouse conditions for 80 days. The highest multiplication rate (17±3 shoots per explant) was obtained with 2.0 mg L-1 of BAP. Root formation occurred efficiently in all treatments, without significant statistical differences between them. On the other hand, the use of substrate soil-t15 was the best treatment for the growth of C. palmata under greenhouse conditions. From the results obtained, it is concluded that C. palmata can be efficiently multiplied under in vitro conditions and did not present problems during the in vivo rooting process.