A METHOD FOR LARGE-SCALE PROPAGATION OF ECONOMIC PLANT CULTIVARS ELIMINATING LABOR-INTENSIVE TISSUE HANDLING

COMMERCIAL TISSUE CULTURE PROPAGATION OF PLANT CULTIVARS IS NOW LIMITED TO SPECIALTY CROPS BECAUSE OF THE HIGH UNIT COSTOF PLANTS SO PROPAGATED. THIS COST IS THE COMBINED EFFECT OF THE LABOR INTENSIVE NATURE OF MANUAL TISSUE TRANSFER WHETHER FOR MEDIUM RENEWAL OR CHANGE AND LOW MULTIPLICATION RATE OF THE CULTURE METHOD USED. THE ROOTING MEDIUM MODULE NOW WIDELY USED AS A FINAL MEDIUM FOR ROOTING OF TISSUE CULTURED PLANTS IN PREPARATION FOR FIELD OR GREENHOUSE TRANSPLANTING IN ITS MOST IMPROVED FORM IS HIGHLY ADAPTABLE TO INTRODUCTION AT FAR EARLIER STEPS IN THE TISSUE CULTURE PROCESS. THE APPROACH ADVANCED USES THIS ROOTING MEDIUM MODULE AS A BENIGN, POROUS MATRIX AND A POPLAR HYBRID AS THE TEST TISSUE. MEDIUM RENEWALS AND CHANGES NECESSARY TO THE TISSUECULTURE OF PLANTS ARE ACCOMPLISHED BY APPROPRIATE ACTIVE ELUTION METHODS WHICH PERMIT CHANGING MEDIA WITHOUT TISSUE TRANSFER. THIS SYSTEM WILL ELIMATE ALL MANUAL TISSUE TRANSFERS, ENABLING FULL AUTOMATION OF TISSUE CULTURE PRODUCTION OF CLONAL PLANT POPULATION WITH ATTENDANT HIGH EFFICIENCY AND LOW UNIT COST. THE END PRODUCT OF THIS EASILY AUTOMATED SYSTEM IS A MECHANICALLY TRANSPLANTABLE TISSUE CULTURED PLANT READY FOR FIELD DEPLOYMENT.