Protocol for Mass Propagation of Plants Using a Low-Cost Bioreactor

AbstractConventional in vitro mass propagation methods are labour-intensive, costly and have a low degree of automation. Bioreactor or automated growth vessel systems using liquid media were developed to overcome these problems. The use of liquid instead of solid culture medium for plant micropropagation offers better access to medium components and scalability through automation. However, the cost of setting up a bioreactor system is one of its disadvantages as such systems are expensive with limited number of manufacturers. A low-cost bioreactor system was set up using recycled, low biodegradable plastic bottles. This low-cost bioreactor, based on temporary immersion principle, has proven to be effective as a vessel for rapid plant propagation. It is designed to reduce the production cost of plant micropropagation. This chapter explains the step-by-step methods for setting up a low-cost bioreactor for banana seedling production. This low-cost bioreactor system has the potential to be adapted for large scale in vitro cultivation of the plant seedlings.