The conservation of threatened flora such as cacti has gain significant important in Mexico, due to their importance in semi-desert areas and its high vulnerability. The study of germination provides tools for its conservation. The relationship between soil characteristics and cactus species can be an indicator of their distribution and establishment since soils are variable. Seed and soil collection was carried out in four ecoregions of arid and semi-arid areas of Durango; the soils mostly, show a loamy- sandy texture and with a slight tendency to alkalinity; of the cacti that were obtained seed and are found in the NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010: Glandulicactus uncinatus, Astrophytum coahuilense, Coryphanta durangensis, Echinocereus longisetus, Ephitelantha micromeris, Ferocactus hamatacanthus, F. herrerae, F. wislizenii, Leuchtenbergia principis, Mammillaria grusonii, M. lenta y Thelocactus bicolor. Germination percentage and mean germination time (t50) were determined with a completely random design and a triple factorial arrangement: one (12 species in risk category); two (medium substrates Murashige and Skoog cultivation and sand); three (seeds with and without disinfection). Variance analysis (ANOVA) and Tukey mean separation test (p <= 0,05) were performed. The species with the highest germination was Astrophytum coahuilense with 100 % in disinfection and the zero germination in Ferocactus wislizenii. Disinfected seeds showed a significant reduction in germination speed (t50) compared to the non-disinfected seed, and only the species that germinated in the sand substrate survived. Cactus germination showed better development in the sand substrate and with prior disinfection.