Biotechnological Tools for Agave Conservation

Nowadays, several Agave species have been described worldwide; they are used for ornamental, agroindustrial, ethnobotanical, and other purposes. Due to excessive use, there is the possibility of losing the germplasm of some species, mainly those that are not cultivated and are listed as endangered. These factors make it necessary to develop strategies to conserve germplasm. Plant biotechnology offers a number of techniques, such as in vitro culture of plant cells and tissues, that can be incorporated into conservation schemes for cultivated, overexploited, threatened, and/or endangered species. Other important strategies for creating in vitro germplasm banks that are complementary to cell and tissue culture are the indefinite conservation of living tissues under controlled conditions of light and temperature. This chapter will mention biotechnological tools for the conservation of Agave species, such as micropropagation, cryopreservation, and seed germination. These strategies have been developed in different species of Agave; in all species, it is necessary to start with micropropagation and later cryopreservation. On the other hand, methodologies are mentioned to improve seed germination and recover populations from the wild or to have a gene pool with commercial interests.