Research & Development

Acclimatization of Micropropagated Plants to Ex Vitro Conditions

Plantlets grown by the process of In Vitro are kept in a special environment. All the external factors that have a direct impact on the growth of the plantlets are maintained in this special environment. The special conditions during in vitro culture result in the formation of plantlets of abnormal morphology, anatomy and physiology. After ex vitro transfer, these plantlets might easily be impaired by sudden changes in environmental conditions, and so need a period of acclimatization to correct the abnormalities.
ACI’s Advanced Seed Research and Biotech Centre (ASRBC) has been working for a couple of years in the supply of virus-free potato plantlets using tissue culture method. Acclimatization plays a huge role before the produced plantlets in the lab are taken to the field. This process starts 48 hours prior to the delivery of plantlets. During this phase, the plantlets are given stress so that it becomes suitable to the outside environment when it is taken to the field. In such conditions before acclimatization a temperature of 25⁰c is maintained. But during the stress period, the temperature is kept higher so that the plantlets can cope up with the outside temperature. The lights are also switched off. This process has a huge impact on the survivability of the plantlets in the field.