Vitroplant

Micropropagation

Vitroplant Italia’s core strength lies in “in vitro” multiplication, or “micropropagation,” a technique of fundamental importance for the advancement of modern nursery production.

“In vitro” propagation, or micropropagation, is a vegetative propagation technique carried out under sterile conditions that enables the rapid, large scale multiplication of plant species.
Through this system, rooted plantlets are obtained that are morphologically uniform and genetically identical. This technique makes it possible to multiply rootstocks, varieties that are difficult to root, and species that are challenging to propagate using conventional methods. In vitro culture represents a highly effective tool for the nursery sector and for genetic and phytosanitary certification, as it allows the production of plant material with preserved health status and genetic integrity.

In-vitro placement

“In-vitro” placement involves the sampling of shoots from a mother plant on the basis of a guaranteed health profile and genetic identity.

The shoots are carefully cleaned, then sterilised with sodium hypochlorite or other chemical sterilising agents.
After adaptation to the “in-vitro” conditions there follows the industrial multiplication of the plant material following the company’s listed Procedures and Protocols

* The in-vitro multiplication plan involves all the procedures the plant undergoes, from the initial placement in-vitro, through all the processes up to rooting and greenhouse acclimatisation.

Advantages of Micropropagation

Micropropagation offers numerous advantages, including:

  • Preservation of mother plants in isolated greenhouses, enabling highly controlled monitoring for health and genetic certification.

  • Propagation independent of seasonal variations, allowing plant material to be produced based on market demand rather than seasonal constraints.

  • Efficient multiplication of difficult-to-propagate species or genotypes, particularly those with low rhizogenic potential, which are challenging to reproduce using traditional techniques.

  • High production capacity in limited space and time, significantly increasing output efficiency.

  • Guaranteed genetic uniformity, ensuring that new plants are identical to the mother plant.

  • Production of virus-free plants, improving overall plant health and reducing the risk of disease spread.

  • Long-term germplasm conservation, preserving valuable genetic traits of species or genotypes that are no longer widely used but hold essential genetic characteristics. Instead of relying on open-field collections, these can now be stored in vitro.

  • Reduced risk of genetic variations, ensuring greater stability in propagated plant material.

A little history

The first attempts to cultivate plant cells “in vitro” and to respond to the concepts of cellular totipotency, date back to 1902.

The German G. Habertland came up with the first hypothesis of the existence of growth hormones which he named enzymes. Later on, P.R. White in 1939 and F. Skoog in 1944 set out the first bases for the in-vitro multiplication of tissues, while T. Murashige formulated the first protocols for the multiplication of tobacco. Within the context of the application of “in-vitro” culture, the MICROPROPAGATION of plants of selected genotypes in sterile conditions has assumed massive importance.

The purpose of in-vitro micropropagation (or cloning) is to obtain rapid propagation, starting with a portion of the “mother” plant.

The advantages are notable in terms of the health, quality and uniformity of the material. Important aspects of the practical purposes and application of this technique, in fruit and vegetable culture, are set out in some publications by the authors, in chronological order: T. Murashige and F. Skoog.