Somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration in peach palm (Bactris gasipaes Kunth)

Abstract

Peach palm (Bactris gasipaes Kunth) is a member of the family Arecaceae and is the only palm species with fully domesticated populations in the Neotropics. It is a multi-purpose but underutilized species. Today, fruit production for subsistence and local markets, and heart-of-palm production for local, national and international markets are the most important uses. Conventional breeding programs of peach palm are long term efforts due to long generation’s time, tree height, difficulties with controlled pollination and other factors. Although it is a caespitose palm, its propagation is currently based on seeds, as off-shoots are difficult to root. Clonal propagation is, however, extremely important. Hence, tissue culture techniques are considered to be the most likely strategy for efficient clonal plantlet regeneration of this species. Among various techniques, somatic embryogenesis offers the advantages of automated large-scale production and genetic stability of the regenerated plantlets. However, a commercial protocol does not currently exist for peach palm. Here the state of the art regarding peach palm in vitro culture will be reported and the main factors already known to influence the in vitro regeneration of this species will be discussed. These factors include the effect of genotypes, plant growth regulators, explant choice and histological aspects. The use of the thin cell layer (TCL) technique has been developed for peach palm and offers promise for its in vitro plant regeneration. The development of biotechnological tools to assist breeding and conservation programs of peach palm is currently needed.