Sugarcane elite cultivars are in great demand by farmers in Brazil. However, such genotypes are seldom available to small holders, because of constraints in the seedling market. In order to provide a technical alternative to face such a limitation, a system based on in vitro micropropagation and subsequent use of an assembly for rapid in vivo seedling adjustment was evaluated. Buds of sugarcane cv. IAC 862480 were micropropagated in modified MS medium and the obtained plantlets cultured for 30 days. Next, the viable plantlets were transferred to one of the following treatments: [A]: pots containing 200 g fertilized soil receiving daily dripping irrigation, [B]: pots containing 250 mL aerated half-strength Hoagland nutrient solution, or [C]: assembly units each one consisting of a 60 mL polyvinyl pot (containing 10 g soil) placed in the inside upper half of a sealed 210 mL polyvinyl pot holding 100 mL non-aerated half-strength Hoagland nutrient solution. Contact between the soil and the nutrient solution was set with a 5 mm-wide satin tape, as to provide evaporative demand-driven solution feeding upwards. Seedlings were transferred to greenhouse as they reached 25 cm in height. Manipulations were performed under controlled environment, and nutrient solution was replaced as needed. The experiments were carried out as completely randomized design, with four replications. Data were statistically analyzed through ANOVA. Among other results, [C] caused significantly higher seedling survival rates (78%), as compared to [B] (26%) or (A) (5%), and yielded greenhouse-ready seedlings within 90 days in average, in comparison to 120 and 150 days with [B] and [A], respectively. In the long run, [C] allowed an averaged production of 20 viable sugarcane plants per micropropagated bud over a period of 120 days. It is concluded that the proposed assembly is feasible for the fast-production of sugarcane seedlings.
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