Background:
In vitro plant acclimatization typically involves slowly weaning the plantlets from a high humidity, low light, warm environment to what would be considered a normal growth environment. Traditionally hardening is performed in sterilized coco peat or peat moss or sand under natural sun light in fan pad cooled or other convenient hardening chambers. Issue with existing method is that plants hardened in coco peat or other solid media cannot be used in soilless method of cultivation like aeroponics. Solid media with the roots of plants will choke filters, nozzles and other passages. To avoid choking hardened in vitro plants are planted after cutting the roots. With cut roots there is lot of mortality and delay in normal growth of crop. Second issue was that with media like coco peat, plants cannot be hardened in indoor lab conditions under artificial lights in case traditional hardening units are unable to maintain required temperature, RH and day length conditions especially in warmer periods of the year. So a strong need was felt to come out with a technology to resolve these issues.
Technology Details:
Following are the salient features of new innovation – a. Plants are hardened in synthetic material instead of coco peat. b. Plants with media are shifted to aeroponic culture panels along with the roots. c. Every plant root media block will hold 5-8 gm nutrient solution. d. This solution will help in very good growth of plants and will not let the plants get damaged even if misting over the roots is stopped for 4-5 hours. e. Transplanting of hardened plants with active roots (instead of stem cut plants) enhances crop productive days. f. There is no dispersing of media in the nutrient solution and hence no blockage of drains, nozzles and filters especially in closed hydroponic/aeroponics systems. g. Mortality during hardening is < 2% in these plants and it can be nil also. Similarly, mortality after shifting to culture panels in aeroponics/hydroponics is also <2%. h. Absolutely clean environment in the grow boxes/culture panels as compared to coco peat and other loose media which disperse around and make it hard to run the unit. i. Elimination of one work phase of cutting roots before transplanting. Also, there is no spillage of coco peat in the operational area. j. Plant hardening is possible in lab conditions as system is clean. k. Hardening possible even when outside temperature is high and hardening is not possible in traditional fan pad cooled hardening units.