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By: Carlos Olimpo Restrepo S. Journalist at UdeA Communications Department 

More than 10 plants were obtained from a single seed, and they reached a survival rate of over 70% when transplanted to their habitat, the Belmira paramo. With this work, UdeA researchers made significant progress in the reproduction and propagation of the frailejon plant using a new in vitro protocol, which reduced germination time from months to just days. Furthermore, it was supported by the community and represents a contribution from academia to the conservation of these vital ecosystems and the appropriation of knowledge. 

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Researcher Aura Urrea with one of the germinated seedlings in the laboratory of the Agrobiotechnology group, attached to the Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences. Photo: UdeA Communications Department 

To contribute to the conservation of paramo ecosystems, researchers from Universidad de Antioquia’s Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences developed a protocol for the in vitro propagation of a species of frailejon. 

The research, called "Micropropagation for the conservation of Espeletia occidentalis var. antioquensis, a species of frailejon endemic to and endangered in the department of Antioquia (Colombia),” can be accessed here. Its main goal was to raise the germination and multiplication rate of seedlings in the laboratory above traditional methods and improve survival once planted in the plant’s natural habitat. 

The in vitro process, performed on glass or Petri dishes with seeds, was conducted in three stages." The first was disinfection and sowing in a basal culture medium, where the seed was provided with essential nutrients. The second step consisted of removing the apical buds, growth points at the end of the stem, from the germinated seedlings and transferring them to a new culture medium that stimulated the formation of new shoots, i.e., plant multiplication. Finally, the developed and rooted plants were transferred to nursery conditions for gradual adaptation to the external environment. Their destination was the paramo soil. 

Thanks to this methodology, the seeds of this species have gone from germinating a single plant, as occurs in traditional nurseries, to between 10 and 15 seedlings under controlled laboratory conditions through a procedure that was optimized with in vitro propagation. Furthermore, the survival rate of frailejon plants germinated in the AgroBiotechnology group laboratory and planted in the Belmira or Santa Inés paramo exceeds 70%. This group is attached to UdeA’s Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences, and the project was supervised by Professor Aura Urrea Trujillo and Róbinson Salazar Díaz, a doctoral student back then. 

The natural germination time of a frailejon in the paramos varies but is generally quite slow. It can take up to a year, depending on the species and the specific conditions of the ecosystem, since each paramo is different. In some nurseries where traditional methods are used, the plant has been able to germinate in six or seven months, as is the case in Belmira. 

These achievements in the germination and planting process also contribute to conservation, since frailejon is a genus of plants that only grows in Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador. These plants are found exclusively in paramos, which are ecosystems seriously threatened by the expansion of agricultural frontiers and global warming. 

According to the Biodiversity Information System (SiB), 98 species of frailejon, out of the 145 discovered globally until early 2023, have been identified in Colombia. The majority are found in the paramo complexes of the Eastern range of the Colombian Andes. The varieties from Frontino or del Sol, Sonsón, Santa Inés or Belmira, Paramillo, and Farallones del Citará stand out in Antioquia. 

This is how a more efficient process was achieved 

Biologist Róbinson Salazar Díaz, who obtained his PhD in biotechnology from UdeA with this project, began his research in 2016. Under the direction of Professor Aura Urrea Trujillo, researcher of the AgroBiotechnology group, he developed the in vitro propagation protocol that changed the success rate. In the laboratory, located in block 7 of the University campus in Medellin, the frailejón seeds managed to germinate in a time ranging from 10 to 20 days. Out of every 100 seeds, between 20 and 50 survive, depending on the conditions that they are subjected to. 

"If we compare the success rate of these seeds with that of nurseries, which is less than 10%, we can say that our protocol represents a significant leap forward compared to the models traditionally followed in those places," said Salazar Díaz. 

Researcher Urrea Trujillo explained that during the in vitro germination process, the key nutrients and plant hormones for sprout formation were identified. This gave rise to a matrix of tests to find the most suitable combination of growth factors in the culture medium, which led to multiplication rates of 2.87 sprouts per plant on average in each subculture. 

"At the Belmira nursery, they do a very good job of acclimatization using the traditional method, and each successful seed produces a plant, but here in our laboratory, we were able to accelerate this process and reproduce up to 15 seedlings," said Professor Urrea Trujillo. 

Salazar Díaz explained, “The research also included experiments to determine germination rates of seeds in the nursery, a process that had not been developed there. This led us to consider how to implement this process with nursery growers, and we also began to involve various community stakeholders." 

Monitoring was ongoing. At the beginning of the project, the researcher observed the plants in the paramo for 24 months to establish their flowering and fruiting cycles and thus determine the appropriate times for cultivation. The seedlings that left the laboratory and were taken to the Belmira nursery were put in trays and then monitored for 90 days. When they were transplanted into bags, still in the greenhouse, they were observed for another 60 days. Then, they were taken to Alto de Sabanas, in the Santa Inés complex, a location agreed upon by forest rangers, residents, and the UdeA team. 

"We initially planted 113 frailejon specimens there. The forest rangers helped us monitor the plants, and in the first year, we had a plant survival rate between 70% and 72%," Salazar Díaz noted. 

The success of this research was not limited to the laboratory and the paramo. The project also had a significant impact on the local community by consolidating meaningful and lasting restoration processes. "This has been achieved through talks, workshops, and planting. The UMATA staff (Municipal Agricultural Technical Assistance Unit), the nursery workers, were initially involved. We have also held workshops twice a year for the community to include them in the planting and care in the paramo," explained Robinson Salazar. 

According to researcher Aura Urrea Trujillo, these results are important as an alternative to mitigating the effects of climate change, which increase the risk of extinction for many species. "As temperatures rise, predatory insects move to higher altitudes. Plants are not equipped to defend themselves against these new events there and are severely affected." 

 
Frailejon plants undergoing the adaptation process at the UMATA nursery in the municipality of Belmira before transport to the Santa Inés paramo. Photo: Courtesy 

Working with the community, between teaching and learning 

Belmira nursery workers, Santa Inés guides and rangers, residents of the municipality, and visitors of the area for ecotourism activities supported the Universidad de Antioquia researchers. 

This collaborative effort, driven by research and shared knowledge, transformed the community's view of its immediate surroundings. Robinson Salazar Díaz highlighted this change, "It used to be a place to bring tourists or livestock without much care. Today, people ask questions, are interested, participate, and care. Forty people attended the last workshop we held on paramo care and frailejon planting, compared to just five at the beginning." 

Luis Ernesto Pérez García, a resident of Belmira and a municipal nursery employee for six years, confirmed the project's direct impact. He noted that before Professor Salazar Díaz arrived with his research, his team had never even attempted to germinate frailejon plants due to limited knowledge and a lack of guidance. 

Now, this nursery has become a center of knowledge about this plant. "Here, we've trained people from the municipality throughout the different stages of seed collection, germination, cultivation, and care of frailejon plants. Some people recently came from Entrerríos because we already know how to manage the process, and now we teach it," said Pérez García. 

The community has embraced the knowledge shared by UdeA researchers. It has allowed them to decide which areas to plant, organize their care, and regulate tourist access. For researcher Salazar Díaz, "Planting a frailejon is not a symbolic act; it's an act for the future. If we do it right, plants, more conscious communities, and more vibrant ecosystems will grow."