Effect of helium-neon laser irradiations on the in vitro culture of Vanilla planifolia jacks

• Published in: Vegetos - International journal of plant research Vol. 37; no. 3; pp. 974 - 982
• Main Authors: Fernández-Valdez, Jennifer Lizzet, Iglesias-Andreu, Lourdes Georgina, Flores-López, Laura Yasmin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore Springer Nature Singapore 2024
• Subjects: Biomedical and Life Sciences; Life Sciences; Plant Anatomy/Development; Plant Breeding/Biotechnology; Plant Physiology; Non-ionizing radiation; Low-intensity irradiation; Hormesis; Micropropagation; In vitro
• ISSN: 2229-4473; 2229-4473
• DOI: 10.1007/s42535-023-00627-z

Vanilla planifolia Jacks. is a commercially important species. Vanillin, used in various industries, is obtained from its Vanilla planifolia Jacks., is a commercially important species. Vanillin, used in various industries, is obtained from its fruits; however, it is currently in danger of extinction. Its limited genetic variability has contributed to its high susceptibility to pathogens such as Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vanillae. Considering the above, the present work was proposed to evaluate the possible biostimulant effect of laser irradiation on the process of its micropropagation and on different variables in shoots (number of shoots, survival rate, length and diameter of the stem, and number of leaves) and in seedlings (length and diameter of the stem, number of leaves and roots, length and width of the root, and photosynthetic pigment content). For this purpose, shoots of the commercial morphotype “Mansa” of V. planifolia were irradiated at different exposure times (30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 s) with a helium-neon laser beam. It was observed that the shoots of the 60-second laser treatment showed the highest percentage of survival, the highest number of shoots, and the largest shoot size, as well as a similar stimulatory effect in terms of a higher number of leaves and leaf area, primary and secondary roots, and a higher content of photosynthetic pigments in the plantlets of this treatment evaluated after two months of cultivation under greenhouse conditions. It is concluded that the use of low doses of laser radiation can be a promising alternative to induce a “hormetic effect” that can contribute to cover the production of vanilla plantlets demanded by the vanilla sector.