MICROPROPAGATION OF VIRUS FREE BULBLETS OF LILIUM LONGIFLORUM BY TANK CULTURE - 1. DEVELOPMENT OF LIQUID CULTURE METHOD AND LARGE SCALE PROPAGATION

We focussed on the propagation of Lilium longiflorum bulbs because deterioration of the bulb quality and a decrease in the bulb production caused by virus disease have become a major problem, and aimed at developing a technology for the micropropagation of virus free bulblets by combining biotechnology and industrial means. Paying attention to individual conditions of liquid culture which are the dissolved oxygen concentration and the osmotic pressure of medium, a liquid culture method suitable for the bulblet propagation could be developed by optimizing the conditions. We next have developed an agitation condition and a medium supply method for the large scale production of the bulblets, using knowledge fostered in the development of petrochemical engineering. Virus free bulblets of L. longiflorum finally could be produced in a large scale culture tank of 2000 l.