ABSTRACT
This chapter describes some of the basic steps involved in plant micropropagation, discusses some of the practical aspects of the commercial micropropagation business, and provides some examples of how and why micropropagation is being used by growers today. In order to keep airborne contaminants to a minimum, the ideal facility has very few entry sites and often has large areas designated as "clean rooms" with purified air flowing under positive pressure. The chapter provides the list of basic areas in any laboratory. Media preparation/dishes is set up similar to a kitchen with lots of counter space and shelves for chemicals and stock solutions, a pH meter, scales, autoclaves, media-dispensing equipment, and a dishwashing area. Transfer room is the heart of any laboratory, filled with clean benches where all of the culture initiation and subsequent subculturing takes place. Cold storage is to maintain stock blocks in culture for plants that are produced on a seasonal basis.
