Full Answer
How to obtain disease-free plant material?
Selection of healthy plants is often the first step in obtaining disease-free plant material. The selection process in commercial nurseries should be done from their cleanest and healthiest plants produced the previous season.
What are stock plants and how to grow them?
Stock plants are healthy specimens of plants you wish to propagate. Their entire purpose is to be the genesis of a new generation of the same kind of plant. Depending upon the variety of plant, stock plants are the source of cuttings, graft material, seeds, bulbs, or tubers. This is why they are often called mother plants.
What pests should I look out for when cultivating stock?
Some pests to watch out for when cultivating stock are: Aphids and cabbage white caterpillars suck the sap from plant tissue, and flea beetles chew it. Try handpicking, spraying with the hose, or treating plants with organic insecticidal neem oil to be rid of them.
Why is it important to manage stock plants?
All vegetative plant material that is grown from the stock plant is genetically identical to the parent and is called a clone. Keeping a mother plant healthy and free of disease is as important as it is to keep a gestating mammal in the best shape. Managing stock plants is the most important concern when propagating plants.
What is disease free plant?
Tissue culture is used to produce disease-free plants, and genetically engineered plants are initially multiplied using in vitro methods. There are a number of ways to vegetatively propagate plants through tissue culture, such as organogenesis and meristem culture.
What is disease free seed?
Seed may be marketed as 'certified' disease free. This typically means that an independent agency has tested the seed using a set protocol to determine if plant pathogens are present. This is common in seed potatoes.
Why is it important to have virus free seed stock?
Disease-causing organisms infecting seed are viruses, fungi and bac- teria. Preventing transmission of these organisms is important in pro- ducing disease-free seed. means during germination could a virus in the seed coats infect the seedlings (33, 34).
How do you make a plant virus free?
There is no effective chemical control method against viruses directly. For this reason, the most common method for obtaining virus-free plant is meristem culture technique. Different researchers [6, 7] have also reported that shoot tip remained insufficient for obtaining the virus-free plants.
Can seeds spread diseases?
Planting infected seed may also result in widespread distribution of disease within the crop and allows for an increased number of initial infection sites from which the disease can spread. The consequence of planting infected seed depends on the disease and pathogen in question.
Can plant seeds carry diseases?
Seeds can transmit diseases from parent plants to succeeding generations, lowering their productivity and even completely preventing them from producing. Simple treatments exist, however, for controlling many seed-borne diseases.
Are all seed potatoes disease free?
All certified seed potatoes start as disease-free clones and are sold to seed growers as minitubers. In Maine, seed potato growers are allowed to replant for four years before they need to start again with disease-free stock.
Which method is used to eliminate plant viruses?
Meristem-tip culture is one of the most widely used methods for virus elimination from infected plants and production of virus-free plants. Apical meristem culture is a proven means of clonal propagation and also for eliminating viruses from infected plants.
Which is used to develop virus free plant?
Meristem culture technique is widely used for obtaining virus-free plants.
How do you make a hormone stock solution?
To prepare a 1 mg/ml stock solution, add 100 mg of the Benzylaminopurine to a 100 ml volumetric flask or other glass container. 2. Add 2-5 ml of 1 N NaOH to dissolve the powder. Once completely dissolved, bring to volume with molecular biology grade water.
What is the current state of plant biotechnology?
Current plant biotechnology has developed as a new age of science and technology where production of secondary metabolites, valuable plant genetics improvements, germplasm conservation, and production of large numbers of disease-free and new varieties are preferred.
What is a plant regenerated from tissue culture called?
Plants regenerated from tissue culture are called somaclones. This technique is used to generate resistance to diseases where the resistance sources are not identified. Moyer and Collins (1983) have used it to develop a variety of sweet potato using meristem tip culture. Morel and Martin (1952) were the first to demonstrate that virus-free plants can be obtained from virus-infected plants using the technique of meristem culture. In addition, some other systemic pathogens such as mycoplasma, fungi and bacterial diseases can also be eliminated using this technique. Using such techniques, disease-free plants have been obtained in more than 50 species (Hu and Wang, 1983 ). The meristem culture technique has been extended to a number of species to produce virus-free plants, and is now regularly used to produce virus-free plants in potato, dahlia, strawberry, carnation, chrysanthemum, orchids, etc. Karha and Gamborg (1975) used meristem culture to obtain symptom-free plants from stakes infected with cassava mosaic disease of Indian and Nigerian origin.
How to reduce pest damage?
2. Altered planting/ harvest dates: Planting and harvesting out of synchrony with pest populations can reduce pest damage. If a particular pest responds to a particular environmental cue, then this pest can be avoided by adjusting sowing or harvesting dates.
What animals can change the nature of a crop field?
Domestic cattle, buffalo, pigs, ducks, poultry, and fish can drastically change the nature of a crop field through their grazing activities. 7. Efficient harvest and storage: A clean, well-timed efficient harvest can break pest cycles. Crop materials that can harbor pests until the next season should be removed.
Is certified seed more expensive than uncertified seed?
Certified seed is often more expensive than locally available seed, but the extra cost should be balanced against the potential risks of using uncertified seed. Vegetatively propagated crops are often grown in tissue culture to obtain disease-free strains. 2.
Is in vitro plant true to type?
True-to-type in vitro plants are obtained for many varieties. 2, 25 However, instability occurs in varieties of the early Mediterranean group. ‘Pastel’ variant plants, which give later harvest than the normal plants appear at a rate that increases with the number of subcultures, and can reach 100%.
What is stock plant?
Stock plants are healthy specimens of plants you wish to propagate. Their entire purpose is to be the genesis of a new generation of the same kind of plant. Depending upon the variety of plant, stock plants are the source of cuttings, graft material, seeds, bulbs, or tubers. This is why they are often called mother plants.
Why is it important to keep a mother plant free of disease?
Keeping a mother plant free of disease ensures healthy offspring and just requires a little know-how to make her thrive and produce generations of fine babies. Choose healthy, superior examples of your preferred species of plant when using stock plants for propagation.
Why are stock plants called mother plants?
This is why they are often called mother plants. All vegetative plant material that is grown from the stock plant is genetically identical to the parent and is called a clone. Keeping a mother plant healthy and free of disease is as important as it is to keep a gestating mammal in the best shape. Managing stock plants is ...
Why do you need stock plants?
Managing stock plants gives you a ready and healthy supply of new clones to share or just keep for yourself. Using stock plants for propagation gives you an identical cutting or tuber to the mother plant. Keeping a mother plant free of disease ensures healthy offspring and just requires a little know-how to make her thrive ...
How successful is plant stock propagation?
Plant stock propagation is most successful if it is done through superior plant specimens. The mother plant should be a premium example of its species and free of disease. It must have all the desirable traits of its species and be healthy and vigorous enough to withstand material donation.
What is the name of the plant that is grown for grafting?
Mother plants grown for their root structure are called rootstock and those grown for grafting onto rootstock are called scions. Stock plants that will have cuttings taken from them need to grow slowly and strongly so the cut material is healthy.
Can stock plants be propagated?
Using Stock Plants for Propagation. Plants can be propagated from more than just seed. Many perennials can be divided, tubers and bulbs naturalize and produce more of the structures and even stems, leaves, and other plant parts may be rooted.
How to protect mother trees from viruses?
These trees should also be protected from insect vectors by insecticide sprays. Grafting tools should be surface-sterilized between trees to prevent any chances of transmission from the sap.
What is a plant regenerated from tissue culture called?
Plants regenerated from tissue culture are called somaclones. This technique is used to generate resistance to diseases where the resistance sources are not identified. Moyer and Collins (1983) have used it to develop a variety of sweet potato using meristem tip culture. Morel and Martin (1952) were the first to demonstrate that virus-free plants can be obtained from virus-infected plants using the technique of meristem culture. In addition, some other systemic pathogens such as mycoplasma, fungi and bacterial diseases can also be eliminated using this technique. Using such techniques, disease-free plants have been obtained in more than 50 species (Hu and Wang, 1983). The meristem culture technique has been extended to a number of species to produce virus-free plants, and is now regularly used to produce virus-free plants in potato, dahlia, strawberry, carnation, chrysanthemum, orchids, etc. Karha and Gamborg (1975) used meristem culture to obtain symptom-free plants from stakes infected with cassava mosaic disease of Indian and Nigerian origin.
Do you remove virus-infected trees?
In these cases, virus-infected trees, therefore, need not be removed.
What is the number of stock plants selected?
Plants show a fascinating ability called ‘ totipotency ’ that enables any plant cell to develop into any desirable organ. As a result, we can use a single explant (plant part) to theoretically develop thousands of plants and this is one astonishing fact about plant tissue culture.
What is the optimum timing for collecting explants?
These explants could differ in size from as low as a microscopic 10 th of a millimeter to as long as several centimeters of stem pieces. However, the timing to obtain an explant is crucial for the successful development of your desirable plantlets under sterile conditions.
What is the importance of stage 0 - select and prepare stock plants?
The stage of stock plant management is important as in this stage the standards of hygiene will undergo optimization. Also this process will determine for you, the quality and quantity of explants that will be set for the next stage. The stock plants which will be clean, insect-free, and diseases-free provide the best explants.
What are the measures to keep stock plants pathogen free?
There are a few steps that you can follow in order to keep your plant material free of disease-causing organisms.
What temperature does stock need to bloom?
Stock requires cool temperatures to flower and will not form new blooms when temperatures rise above 65 degrees F. Tall cultivars may need staking, although the stems are generally strong. Stock is useful for beds, borders, and containers, but is best grown for cutting and for its exquisite fragrance.
Why do you mulch annuals?
Mulches also help retain soil moisture and maintain even soil temperatures. For annuals an organic mulch of shredded leaves lends a natural look to the bed and will improve the soil as it breaks down in time. Always keep mulches off a plant’s stems to prevent possible rot.
What is compost in gardening?
Compost is a wonderful form of organic matter with a good balance of nutrients and an ideal pH level, it can be added to your planting area at any time. If compost is not available, top dress the soil after planting with 1-2 inches of organic mulch, which will begin to breakdown into compost.
What is the least likely to suffer the ravages of pests and disease?
Managing Pests and Disease. Quality plants and seeds that grow in conditions that suit them are the least likely to suffer the ravages of pests and disease. However, sometimes trouble starts with extreme weather conditions, or an infestation or infection in a nearby plant.
What is a biennial plant?
The biennial characteristic refers to the tendency of perennial plants to bloom in the first year and set seed in the second year. Stock is an odd name for a flower. It seems to be a reference to the “stocky” stems of perennial growth, and its use as an early-season garden filler.
