Vegetos
(An International Journal of Plant Research & Biotechnology)
(eISSN: 2229-4473)
In vitro multiplication of ‘Xingu’ blackberry using the biomass of microalga Desmodesmus subspicatus (Scenedesmaceae)
*Article not assigned to an issue yet
Cosmo Ariane Cristina, da Silva Ana Clara Rodrigues Ferreira, Paulista Hellen Cristina, de Oliveira Sara Caroline Almeida, de Oliveira Corrêa Diego, Ribas Luciana Lopes Fortes, Noseda Miguel Daniel, Biasi Luiz Antonio
Research Articles | Published: 15 June, 2026
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Keywords: Biostimulant, Tissue culture, Micropropagation, n Rubus spp., Small fruits
Abstract
‘Xingu’ blackberry is a new cultivar that is more productive and has a longer harvest period than its parental cultivar ‘Tupy’; therefore, efficient methods are required to produce large numbers of uniform and disease-free seedlings. Micropropagation using conventional plant growth regulators (PGRs) is a possibility, however, the seedlings do not always have good quality and disorders, such as hyperhydricity, may occur. Our study aimed to determine the best concentration of microalga Desmodesmus subspicatus biomass for the micropropagation of ‘Xingu’ blackberry and to verify the potential of microalgal biomass to replace conventional PGRs. Shoots formed from meristems, after three subcultures in Murashige and Skoog (MS) culture medium, were used as explants. They were inoculated in MS culture medium, supplemented with D. subspicatus biomass (0.1–0.8 g L−1) and a control (without addition of microalga). The morphogenic and biochemical results showed that explants cultivated in medium supplemented with 0.4 g L−1 of biomass showed the greatest shoot and root development, with plant height increasing by approximately 48% compared with the control. The highest concentration (0.8 g L−1) had an inhibitory effect and in the absence of microalga biomass, explants showed significantly lower shoot and root development compared with treatments containing the biomass. To obtain better responses from the development of the aerial part and roots of in vitro cultivated ‘Xingu’ blackberry, we suggest the addition of 0.42–0.46 g L−1 of D. subspicatus biomass, which can also replace traditional PGRs.
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Author Information
Departamento de Fitotecnia e Fitossanidade, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil