Practical aspects of bioreactor application in mass propagation of plants

Abstract

Bioreactors are an efficient tool for the production of plant propagules but, at present, their application is commercialized in only a few tissue culture companies. The present article reviews practical aspects of the use of bioreactors in the mass propagation of plants in relation to the responses of plant propagules in liquid medium, the characteristics of bioreactor culture techniques in plant propagation and discusses case studies of the use of bioreactors for several plant species including Fragaria ananassa, Lilium species, Hippeastrum hybridum, Gladiolus grandiflorus, Spathiphyllum, Colocasia esculenta and Solanum tuberosum. The establishment of plantlets from bioreactors and future prospects are also described.