Experimental use of a novel temporary immersion system for liquid culture of olive microshoots

Abstract

A novel temporary immersion system (TIS), designed at the laboratory of VITRO HELLAS S.A., was used for the liquid culture of olive microshoots during their proliferation phase. The results were compared with those obtained in agar solidified medium, which was used as control, and with other bioreactor systems including the LifeReactor ©, liquid culture in Erlenmeyer flasks under agitation and liquid culture on filter paper bridges. After 30 days of culture, results derived from the novel TIS (1.93 new microshoots per explant, 0.95 cm shoot length) were statistically the same as the control (1.75 microshoots per explant, 1.22 cm shoot length respectively). Equally high results were obtained with the agitated Erlenmeyer flasks, while LifeReactor © gave the poorest ones (0.35 new microshoots per explant, 0.40 cm shoot length). Cultures on filter paper bridges developed large masses of callus at the explant bases. However, all the liquid cultures suffered from hyperhydricity, the most serious was observed in the Erlenmeyer flasks and the least in the novel TIS. In order to reduce hyperhydricity, the TIS was combined with cultures on agar solidified medium, which eliminated the problem but shoot proliferation was also reduced. It seems that the novel TIS provides a promising device, although some technical problems need to be overcome for large scale production.