Germination, in vitro propagation and soil acclimatization of Acacia farnesiana and Prosopis laevigata

Acacia farnesiana (Huizache) and Prosopis laevigata (Mesquite) are plants used by rural populations of México to: feed livestock, wood is used to make fence posts, charcoal, furniture, handicrafts, construction material and medicinal purposes. The excessive use of these plants and indiscriminate deforestation for the settlement of houses and industrial buildings has led to a considerable decrease. For this reason, it is necessary to implement methods for mass propagation. In this study, seeds were collected from A. farnesiana and P. laevigata trees growing naturally in the University of Aguascalientes gardens. The seeds were germinated on 100% MS medium without plant growth regulators (PGR), in cotton saturated with sterile distilled water and in commercial soil, and showed a 100% germination at 2 days. Cotyledonary nodes were used as explants and cultured on MS medium supplemented with different concentrations and combinations of PGR. The highest number of multiple shoots was on MS medium with 4.4 μM BAP; for A. farnesiana there were 5.42 ± 0.98 shoots per explant and for P. laevigata 4. 17 ± 0.89. For rooting, the best treatment was MS with 17.12 μM IAA in both cases. In vitro plants were transferred to soil and acclimated in the greenhouse where 80% survived. •The use of Prosopis laevigata and Acasia farnesiana plants should be made from cultivated species to avoid deforestation.•The germination of Mesquite and Huizache seeds is facilitated by treatment with sulfuric acid.•The Mesquite and Huizache plants generated in vitro can be acclimatized and cultivated in soil.