Adventitious shoot induction from adult tissues of the tropical timber tree yellow Ipé primavera (Tabebuia donnell-smithii rose [bignoniaceae])

Tabebuia donnell-smithii is a tropical tree species that is highly important as a forest crop due to both environmental and economic benefits. Wood from these trees is in high demand, achieving up to three times the price of wood from Pinus species. Commercial plantations of this species help to reduce the pressure on natural populations; however, plantations are few in number due to the lack of domesticated varieties and the relative unavailability of seeds. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a reliable source of plantlets suitable for commercial production. In the present work, we report the clonal propagation of T. donnell-smithii from twigs collected from elite trees. Emerging axillary shoots were used as a source of explants. Fungal contamination was a persistent problem but was partially overcome by brief exposure to low concentrations of chlorine. The stem fragments that were used as an explant source were cultured in woody plant medium containing 30 μM zeatin. This was the best condition for inducing adventitious shoot proliferation, producing 2.8 shoots per explant. Coconut water had an additional positive effect, increasing the number of shoots per explant by a factor of up to 3.6. The shoots were rooted in medium containing 20 μM indole-3-butyric acid. Ninety-four percent of the rooted plants survived the transfer to soil.