EMBRYO GERMINATION AND IN VITRO EARLY GROWTH OF MACAÚBA

Macaúba is a highly productive oil palm and its oil can be used in the production of biofuels. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of concentrations of MS culture medium and coconut water salts on in vitro germination of zygotic macaúba embryos and on the initial growth of seedlings. The mature embryos were excised and then inoculated in test tubes containing 15 mL of MS culture medium at concentrations of 50 and 100% of mineral salts, plus coconut water (0, 50, 100 and 150 mL ^L-1). The cultures were kept in a growth room with irradiance around 42 W ^m-2, temperature of 25 ± 2° C and photoperiod of 16 hours. The highest percentage of germination of macaúba embryos was obtained at 60 days, in MS medium at the original concentration of salts. The growth and conversion of viable or normal seedlings, capable of being acclimatized, require half the concentration of salts of the MS medium supplemented with 50 mL ^L-1 of coconut water.