Tesis (Maestra en Ciencias, especialista en Edafología).- Colegio de Postgraduados, 2011.Con el objeto de conocer el efecto del potencial osmótico de las sales inorgánicas del medio de Murashige y Skoog se determinó el contenido de humedad, peso de materia seca, concentración y extracción nutrimental en brotes de Agave potatorum Zucc. Se establecieron medios de cultivo con los siguientes potenciales osmóticos: -0.187, -0.139, -0.094 y -0.050 MPa. El experimento se estableció con un diseño completamente al azar con tres repeticiones. Los datos obtenidos se sometieron a un análisis de varianza y comparación de medias. Después de 90 días del establecimiento del experimento se encontraron diferencias estadísticas significativas entre tratamientos para las variables evaluadas. El medio de cultivo con potencial osmótico de -0.187 MPa presentó los mayores valores para contenido de humedad (93.74 %), peso de materia seca (350.4 mg explante-1), concentración de N (2.97 %), P (0.21%), K (5.41%), Ca (0.40%), Mg (0.21%), Fe (244.03 ppm), Zn (107.66 ppm) y Mn (152.79 ppm), además de la extracción de N (9.5 mg explante-1 ), P (0.7 mg explante-1 ), K (18.4 mg explante-1 ),Ca (1.4 mg explante-1 ), Mg (0.7 mg explante-1 ), Fe ( 81. 22 µg explante-1 ), Cu (7.51 µg explante-1 ), Zn (36.88 µg explante-1 ) y Mn (53.59 µg explante-1 ). _______________ OSMOTIC POTENTIAL AND NUTRIENT ABSORPTION IN THE in vitro CULTURE OF Agave potatorum Zucc. ABSTRACT: With the object to determine the effect of osmotic potential of inorganic salts of Murashige and Skoog was determined moisture content, dry matter, nutrient concentration and extraction in shoots of Agave potatorum Zucc. Culture media were established with the following osmotic potentials: -0.187, -0.139, -0.094 and -0.050 MPa. The experiment was established with a completely randomized design with three repetitions. The data were subjected to an analysis of variance and mean. After 90 days of the establishment of the experiment were statistically significant differences between treatments for the variables. The culture medium osmotic potential of -0.187 MPa showed the highest values for moisture content (93.74%), dry matter weight (350.4 mg explant-1), concentration of N (2.97%), P (0.21%) K (5.41%), Ca (0.40%), Mg (0.21%), Fe (244.03 ppm), Zn (107.66 ppm) and Mn (152.79 ppm), as well as the extraction of N (9.5 µg explant-1), P (0.7 µg explant-1), K (18.4 µg explant-1), Ca (1.4 µg explant-1), Mg (0.7 µg explant-1), Fe (81. 22 µg explant-1), Cu (7.51 µg explant-1), Zn (36.88 µg explant-1) and Mn (53.59 µg explant-1).