Macaw Palm Propagation Strategies: Advances, Gaps, and Future Directions for a Promising Oleaginous Crop-A Review

The Acrocomia aculeata is a promising palm tree for biofuel production, but it faces challenges related to propagation, especially due to seed dormancy. This article presents an integrative review, supported by bibliometrics, of the sexual and asexual propagation methods of the species, conducted through searches in Scopus, SciELO, and Web of Science databases. The results indicate that sexual propagation is the predominant approach in the literature, although it faces significant challenges due to seed dormancy, such as the physical resistance to embryo protrusion imposed by the operculum. Asexual propagation demonstrates great potential through micropropagation techniques, which allow obtaining genetically uniform plants in relatively short periods. The non-deep physic dormancy exhibited by the seeds interferes with germination by constraining embryo growth potential and postponing the metabolic reactivation essential for successful germination. Despite the existence of promising methods for overcoming dormancy, additional studies are needed to understand the mechanisms involved in this process. This review maps the scientific literature to highlight areas of proven research success, identify critical gaps and underexplored topics, and indicate how future investigations can support the development of efficient propagation protocols and the establishment of commercial plantations.