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Post-flask management of yam (Dioscorea) plantlets
Hodeba D Mignouna1, Mathew M Abang, Robert Asiedu
1African Agricultural Technology Foundation, Nairobi, Kenya.
Cold Spring Harbor Protocols
|February 13, 2010
Summary
This protocol details hardening yam (Dioscorea) plantlets derived from tissue culture. It involves a two-week acclimatization period in a humidity chamber followed by soil transplantation for field readiness.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Science
- Horticulture
- Plant Biotechnology
Background:
- Tissue culture allows for rapid propagation of yam (Dioscorea) plantlets.
- Yam plantlets require a hardening process to adapt from in vitro conditions to ex vitro environments before field transplanting.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe a reliable protocol for acclimatizing tissue culture-derived yam plantlets.
- To enhance the survival rate of yam plantlets during the transition to soil cultivation.
Main Methods:
- Plantlets were initially potted in a vermiculite and peat moss mixture.
- Pots were maintained in a humidity chamber with daily spraying and watering for two weeks.
- Following initial acclimatization, plantlets were transplanted into soil in pots or bags and watered daily for another two weeks before field transplantation.
Main Results:
- The protocol facilitates the gradual adaptation of yam plantlets to lower humidity and soil conditions.
- Successful hardening is indicated by plantlet survival and vigor after the acclimatization stages.
Conclusions:
- This protocol provides a standardized method for hardening yam (Dioscorea) plantlets.
- Implementing this hardening process is crucial for successful field establishment of tissue-cultured yams.
