A cost effective protocol for in vitro mass propagation of cauliflower

An improved and cost effective protocol for in vitro mass propagation of cauliflower from fractionated and graded curd is presented. The protocol is optimised for the production of clones of 2000 plants from one mother curd. Microshoots are produced en masse in 12 days, selected by flotation on a sucrose pad and transferred to rooting medium after suspension in a viscous medium. Fully rooted propagules are transferred to the glasshouse in 4-5 weeks and ready for transfer to the field 3-5 weeks later. The propagule unit cost was drastically reduced and is now close to that of a seed derived module grown plantlet. The strengths and limitations of this protocol are discussed. Clones produced highly homogeneous curds in the field with a short cutting period. Their overall quality depended essentially on the quality of the selected mother curd. The screening of populations to select elite genotypes combining high quality curd and good response in vitro is central to the use of this protocol on an industrial scale.