Slow-grown in vitro conservation of Heliconia champneiana cv. Splash under different light spectra

In vitro techniques, with the purpose of conserving the genetic resources of plants, are fundamental to the feasibility of establishing germplasm banks and enabling the commercial production of micropropagated plants. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of different spectra of light in in vitro germplasm conservation by slow grown storage of Heliconia Champneiana cv. Splash. Explants of heliconia in vitro were submitted to the following light treatments: CW (control white), B100 (100 % blue), R100 (100 % red) and R70B30 (70 % red/30 % blue), all with PFD = 25 mu mol m(2) s(-1), maintained in vitro for two time periods, namely P1, 6 weeks and P2, twelve weeks, and were statistically evaluated after each interval with respect to: height, fresh weight, number and length of roots, number of leaves, and pseudostem diameter, in addition to the rate of acclimatization in percentage terms. Treatment B100 presented the lowest level of development in the two periods, and 100 % survival in acclimatization.