In vitro initiation of seeds and further corm weight gain in Zephyra elegans

Zephyra elegans D. Don is a Chilean endemic geophyte specie from the Tecophilaceae family, described as having high potential as an ornamental crop. Flowering capacity has been described to be related to corm weight. Flowering capacity can only be seen in corms over 0.3 g. Experiments were performed to initiate seeds in vitro and obtain enhanced corm weight gain. Initiation of seeds was performed in MS medium. Eight weeks after seed germination, plantlets were transferred to different MS mediums with sucrose concentrations of 0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 g•L^-1. The objective was to achieve the highest corm weight gain. Corm weight gain was measured after 16 weeks of growth in this medium. Best weight gain was obtained with 6 and 9% sucrose levels, achieving corms over 0.3 g in the first growing season. These levels are higher than gains obtained under greenhouse conditions, where no corms of over 0.3 g in weight were obtained in the first growing season.