Optimization of the vegetative micropropagation of Cannabis sativa from axillary buds

GONZALEZ, MICAELA; LA BELLA, GINO; MOLINA, GERMÁN; BLANZACO, TOMÁS; BORDÓN, JUAN IGNACIO; ARANO, TATIANA; SVETAZ, L; CABEZUDO, I; BUTASSI, E; DI LIBERTO, M; HOURCADE, MÓNICA; SANNAZZARO, ANALIA INÉS; CLEMENTE, MARINA

Congreso; LVIII Congreso SAIB; 2022

Cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) is one of the oldest plant sources of oils, resins, and textile fibers. Moreover, this plant is a natural reservoir of countless compounds with various medicinal properties. Currently, more than 150 phytocannabinoids have been characterized. The two major pharmacologically active components are delta-9tetrahidrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). In Argentina, the law 27669 on Medicinal Cannabis and Industrial Hemp was recently approved, which provides a regulatory framework for public and private investment in the entire cannabis production chain. Some estimations suggest that cannabis could become another export commodity, just like grains or beef. Therefore, it is essential to advance in the improvement of propagation techniques that (will) allow maximizing cannabis production and guarantee the generation of new plants faster and more efficiently, keeping the desired genetics. In this regard, micropropagation makes possible to obtain many genetically identical and healthy plants in a short period of time. Furthermore, this technique is a necessary complement for the conservation of germplasm in vitro or in the form of cryopreserved synthetic seeds. However, there are found several and persistent bottlenecks to achieve a fast, reliable, and efficient production system in the regeneration and growth stages of plants cultivated in vitro. In the present work, the conditions for the micropropagation of different C. sativa specimens of chemotypes II (THC~CBD) and III (THC