ISHS Acta Horticulturae 225: Bacterial and Bacteria-like Contaminants of Plant Tissue Cultures
PROBLEMS OF TRANSMISSION AND IDENTIFICATION OF BACTERIA IN TISSUE CULTURE PROPAGATED GERANIUMS |
| Author: | G. Reuther |
| Abstract:
An experimental scheme for long-term micropropagation via nodal segments originating from in vitro donor plants of Pelargonium cultivars has been described. Endophytic and pathogenic bacteria are transmitted from the apex explants to in vitro plants. By means of bacteriological test methods, the distribution of contaminants in stock plants, cuttings and in micropropagated donor plants has been determined. The infection is lowest in the terminal region and increases towards the basal stem segments. The eliminating effect of the establishment of in vitro plants from shoot tip explants and subsequent propagation by shoot clusters and nodal segments was monitored. Basal segments and leaves from in vitro plants were incubated in Bouillon broth medium. Depending on the infection rate and the variety-specific susceptibility to bacterial infections after a few subculture steps, the infection was significantly reduced. The absence of disease symptoms and of bacterial growth on the tissue culture medium is no indication of disease-free material. The problems involved in rapid and large-scale screening for infected in vitro plantlets is discussed. Proposals for the production of elite geranium stock plants are made. | |
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