Production of pineapple plants in vitro

Area of Science:

• Plant Biotechnology
• Horticultural Science
• Plant Tissue Culture

Background:

• Pineapple (Ananas comosus) propagation is crucial for commercial cultivation.
• Traditional propagation methods can be slow and inefficient for large-scale production.
• In vitro culture offers a potential solution for rapid and mass propagation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficiency of in vitro axillary bud culture for rapid propagation of pineapple cultivars.
• To determine the success rate and multiplication potential of this technique.
• To assess the applicability across different pineapple varieties.

Main Methods:

• Axillary bud explants from various pineapple cultivars were cultured in vitro.
• Optimized culture conditions were applied to maximize success rates.
• Regenerated plantlets were monitored for growth and multiplication over 13 months.

Main Results:

• Rapid mass multiplication of pineapple plantlets was achieved, with a significant log phase observed starting at 9 months.
• High plantlet yields were recorded: 'Perolera' (210-380), 'PR-1-67' (300-350), and 'Smooth Cayenne' (40-85) per initial bud by month 13.
• The method proved effective for multiple pineapple cultivars, with minimal morphological variation in regenerated plants.

Conclusions:

• In vitro axillary bud culture is an efficient method for the rapid propagation of pineapple (Ananas comosus).
• This technique allows for substantial plantlet multiplication across diverse cultivars.
• The regenerated plants exhibit low morphological variation, ensuring genetic consistency.