Micropropagation

• Micropropagation is a technique used to produce large numbers of identical plants (clones) from a selected stock plant
• Plants can reproduce asexually from meristems because they are undifferentiated cells capable of indeterminate growth
• Vegetative Propagation

  When a plant cutting is used to reproduce asexually in the native environment
• Micropropagation


  When plant tissues are cultured in the laboratory (in vitro) in order to reproduce asexually
• Rapid Bulking

  • Desirable stock plants can be cloned via micropropagation to conserve the fidelity of the selected characteristic
  • This process is more reliable that selective breeding because new plants are genetically identical to the stock plant
  • This technique is also used to rapidly produce large quantities of plants created via genetic modification
• Virus-Free Strains

  • Plant viruses have the potential to decimate crops, crippling economies and leading to famine
  • Viruses typically spread through infected plants via the vascular tissue – which meristems do not contain
  • Propagating plants from the non-infected meristems allows for the rapid reproduction of virus-free plant strains
• Propagation of Rare Species

  • Micropropagation is commonly used to increase numbers of rare or endangered plant species
  • It is also used to increase numbers of species that are difficult to breed sexually (e.g. orchids)
  • It may also be used to increase numbers of plant species that are commercially in demand