Effect of Atrazine on Algal Contamination and Sugarcane Shoots During Photoautotrophic Micropropagation

Abstract

A laboratory procedure was developed for obtaining and maintaining photoautotrophic cultures ofsugarcane shoots in vitro for three generations. Algae contamination in vessels was a problem for photoautotrophic growth under septic conditions. Atrazine, a herbicide, was effective in controlling algae at a concentration of 10 ppm, but the growth of shoots in herbicide-treated sugarless Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium decreased to about half of the growth in untreated medium. As a result, atrazine was not considered to be a practical solution for algae control. Additional work is needed to optimize photoautotrophic micropropagation of sugarcane for both septic and aseptic conditions. Photoautotrophic micropropagation of sugarcane may be economical only if culture can be perfected under septic conditions.