Plant Production from in vitro Culture of Isolated Zygotic Embryos of Butia yatay (Mart.) Becc. (Arecaceae)

This study aimed to develop for in vitro germination of zygotic embryos and to establish an acclimatization procedure for the production of Butia yatay palm plants under controlled conditions. B. yatay fruits were mechanically scarified for seeds extraction prior to isolation of zygotic embryos. Embryos were cultured on Murashige and Skoog medium with a combination of plant growth regulators. Acclimatization consisted of transferring plants to sterilized or unsterilized soil-sand substrates, with or without polyethylene cover. Embryos cultivated on Murashige and Skoog medium with 0.1 mg·L⁻¹ 1-naphthaleneacetic acid and 0.1 mg·L⁻¹ 6-benzylaminopurine achieved 90% germination. After fungicide treatment and transplanting into sterilized soil mix in shaded conditions, the plants were covered with polyethylene, which resulted in a 67% acclimatization success rate.