THE USE OF TISSUE CULTURE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ORNAMENTAL PLANTS: SOME ECONOMICAL ASPECTS

R. Theiler-Hedtrich, C.M. Theiler-Hedtrich, R. Mayer-Jungpflanzen
Tissue culture has the advantage of very high propagation rates but is generally a labor intensive propagation method for which high investigations and special trained personal are necessary. Therefore its introduction in nurseries is restricted by economical factors. It is proposed to divide the economical analysis into four groups, according to the aim of tissue culture application for nursery purposes:
  1. Tissue culture methods (TCM), which are superior to conventional propagation methods (CPM), e.g. for Boston ferns or Kalanchoë;
  2. TCM which are in competition with CPM, e.g. for African violet or Streptocarpus;
  3. TCM (combined with or without masspropagation) to produce pathogen-free plants, e.g. for Begonia-Elatior-Hybrids or Pelargonium-Hybrids;
  4. TCM for special purposes, e.g. for cloning mother plants which are generally propagated by seed such as Primula or Cyclamen.

To test this hypothesis a comparison of multiplication rate (MR), required hours (H) and square meters per day (SMD) to produce 10 000 plants was made between TCM and CPM for group a) (Boston fern) and group b) (African violet). For group c) and d) an economical analysis is difficult, because TCM are used to improve the quality of mother plants and not for routine propagation of cuttings. Therefore they are not included in this study.

The data recorded in nurseries and a commercial tissue culture laboratory showed, that for Boston fern MR, H and SMD for TCM was superior to CPM. For TCM of African violet this was only true for MR and SMD, whereas for H, TCM required ten times more hours than CPM to produce 10 000 plants.

This indicates that for African violet, TCM is still in competition with CPM (group b).

It is suggested that a methodical improvement of TCM for plants in group b) is essential for their use in nurseries under economical aspects.

Theiler-Hedtrich, R., Theiler-Hedtrich, C.M. and Mayer-Jungpflanzen, R. (1983). THE USE OF TISSUE CULTURE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ORNAMENTAL PLANTS: SOME ECONOMICAL ASPECTS. Acta Hortic. 131, 179-192
DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.1983.131.20
https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1983.131.20

Acta Horticulturae