Micropropagation of Endangered Orchid Species:
Improvement and Standardization of Methods
Hope Jones, PLS MS
student
Controlled propagation of
orchids is often challenging due to low germination rates and the
extremely small size and delicacy of the seeds. Micropropagation
techniques reduce these difficulties by creating optimum conditions for
seed germination and growth, or by bypassing seeds altogether through
clonal cultivation of new plants. Traditional micropropagation
techniques can maximize germination and growth rates of plantlets if media
and environmental parameters are maintained optimally. However,
significant plant losses are common when plants are removed from the
vessel environment. New photoautotrophic micropropagation techniques
that stimulate photosynthetic self reliance early in maturity have shown
potential to reduce loses. The purpose of this study seeks to
determine which micropropagation techniques and medias are capable of
cultivating Laelia purpurata v alba, maximizing both multiplication and
survivability. Laelia purpurata v alba plantlets were grown in
various combinations of media growth regulators to determine which
combinations optimized multiplication rates. No optimum auxin (NAA)
concentration was found. It is believed that the optimum lies
between 0.01 and 0.1 which was a range not selected for this particular
experiment. The optimal cytokinin (BA) result was that of
plants grown without any cytokinin at all. Plantlets were then
transplanted to either conventional or grown photoautotrophic
micropropagation systems to determine the best method to prepare young
orchids for successful transfer. The fresh weight and percent shoot
development were nearly equal in the two treatments however the percent
rooting was higher in cultures grown in the photoautotrophic
system.
Collaborators: Dr. Chieri Kubota, PLS, Mark Kroggel, PLS,
and Aaron Hicks, Orchid Seedbank
Completed
2005 |
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