UTILIZATION OF EMBRYOGENIC CELL CULTURES FOR THE MASS PRODUCTION OF BULBLETS IN LILIES

To utilize a somatic embryogenic cell culture system for the mass production of bulblets in Oriental and Easter lilies, methods of embryogenic callus induction, multiplication and bulblet production were investigated.
The sliced bulb scales of a Lilium longiflorum hybrid (L. longiflorum x L. fomolongi) and Oriental hybrids (‘Marco Polo’ and ‘Casa Blanca’) were cultured on MS solid medium (3% sucrose and 0.3% Phytagel) supplemented with 2,4-D, dicamba or picloram at the concentrations of 1, 3, 6 and 9 mg L^-1. The most embryogenic calli were produced with 2 mg L^-1 of dicamba in Lilium longiflorum hybrid and 6 mg L^-1 of picloram in the Oriental hybrids.
The embryogenic cells of the Oriental hybrid ‘Marco Polo’ and ‘Casa Blanca’ were cultured in an air-lift-type 5-L bioreactor using liquid MS medium (3% sucrose, pH 5.8) supplemented with 2 mg L^-1 of picloram, and transferred to culture boxes (96 x 96 x 90 mm) containing 80 ml of hormone-free MS agar medium (0.5% Phytagel and 6% sucrose) for bulblet formation.
Numerous bulblets larger than 5 mm in diameter were produced after four months and planted in greenhouse after 8 weeks of 4°C storage.
Adult plants of L. longiflorum hybrid, regenerated from the cells maintained over 4 years, produced mostly morphological variants of flower deformities, but among the plants derived from 6-month-old callus of the Oriental hybrid ‘Marco Polo’ and ‘Casa Blanca’ morphological variants of flower deformities were not found.
Therefore, bulblets of Oriental lilies having high quality and uniformity, can be produced in quantity in relatively short periods using embryogenic cell cultures.

IX International Symposium on Flower Bulbs

S.K. Kim, B.J. Ahn

Oriental lily, callus, bioreactor, Lilium longiflorum, 2,4-D, dicamba, picloram

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2005.673.103