Maximum Yield Australia/New Zealand March/April 2018 | Page 36

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tissue culture
COUNTERTOP
TISSUE CULTURE
BY DR. LYNETTE MORGAN
Just as hydroponics was once the tool of scientists until
growers modified the technology for their own use, tissue
culture is now being carried out in home kitchens, on spare
countertops, or in modified indoor growing areas.
T
issue culture, or micropropagation, is a high-tech tool for the rapid
multiplication of plant material. However, it is no longer primarily
the domain of commercial labs with expensive equipment. Basic tissue
culture is relatively simple and easily adapted to indoor gardens where
artificial light and a clean, protected environment are readily available
to facilitate the process. All growers need are steady hands and attention
to aseptic procedures, and they’ll be rewarded with rapid production of
clones or the multiplication of difficult or slow-to-propagate species.
The term “tissue culture” describes a wide range of procedures that
all involve taking small parts of plants, tissues, or cells and growing
them inside sterile containers in which the environment can be carefully
controlled. Some methods are highly advanced and more suited to being
carried out in a lab as they require specialised equipment. These include
cell suspension culture and protoplast culture. However, basic plant
multiplication is relatively easy on most plant species.
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