Compost Medium for Plant Tissue Cultures
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02/12/2006 10:55 AM
Compost Medium for Plant Tissue Cultures
At the International Symposium on Biotechnology of Tropical and Subtropical Species, held 29
September through 3 October 1997 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, B. Pett and A. Kembu of
Papua New Guinea's Lowlands Agriculture Experiment Station Kerevat described a simple and
inexpensive tissue culture medium. The substrate is composed of one-third sawdust, one-third
peatmoss and one-third topsoil. The mixture is used to fill 120 ml jars to a fifth of their volume. Five
milliliters of Murashige-Skoog salt solution plus 5 ml of distilled water are added and the jars are then
autoclaved.
According to Pett and Kembu, more than 95% of all sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) explants showed
satisfactory normal growth on the compost medium. All transferred genotypes survived on the
medium for more than one year of subculture. The authors suggest that the easy-to-make and
easy-to-keep compost medium can be used as an alternative growing substrate for long-term
conservation of sweet potato varieties and for investigations of their potential for microtuber
formation.
For further information:
B. Pett, Lowlands Agricultural Experiment Station Kerevat, ENBP, Laes P.O. Kerevat, Papua New
Guinea. Fax: 675 983 9129.