Medium-Term Preservation by the In Vitro Minimum Growth Method of Swietenia humilis Zucc

Swietenia humilis Zucc. is a precious tropical hardwood species belonging to the Meliaceae family. It's planted as a living fence along the edges of land used as pastures or at property boundaries. Its wood is of excellent quality, and it's also attributed with medicinal properties. However, its natural habitat is experiencing fragmentation, which is why this species is included in the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species. The loss of this species' populations justifies the need for its conservation in germplasm banks, ensuring its medium and long-term ex situ conservation and providing material for various purposes, such as reforestation. A method for medium-term conservation is the minimal growth technique in vitro conditions, which consists of reducing the growth rate of the tissue or seedling grown under controlled conditions, in vitro culture.