TWO MACHINES FOR IN VITRO PROPAGATION OF PLANTS IN LIQUID MEDIA

Abstract

Two machines are described, one to tilt 400 50-mL or 320 125-mL Erlenmeyer flasks, and the other to rock 120 455-mL or 70 910-mL square wide-mouth Mason jars, or combinations of the different container sizes. In grapes, explants transferred to liquid media on the machines after 28 days on agar produced seven times as many shoots in 90 days as explants maintained on agar media. Similar increases were obtained with Arctostaphylos uva ursi, Fuchsia hybrida ’Swingtime,’ Amelanchier alnifolia, and Nicotiana tabacum ’Xanthi-nc.’ The liquid culture method also reduces cost by using less media and agar.Key words: Machines, in vitro, propagation, liquid-media