The Perfect Explants

We have briefly discussed cloning principles in the past so now we are hoping to get into some of the finer details concerning plant cloning. Let's start with the original plant that we wish to clone and learn a bit about how to select the perfect cloning material.
 
Cloning is one of the most effective means at our disposal for duplicating plants. It allows us to keep the best plants that we have and make thousands of the same exact species. In the words of a botanist we could say that clones are nothing more then the end results of asexual propagation as compared to seeds which are considered to be sexual propagation.
 
When we take a cutting from a plant to clone, we usually use a branch or fresh growing section of the plant. We then cut and place a small portion into a media of some sort and watch it take root. I can not express the feeling that one gets as they watch this piece of plant become an actual living thing right before our eyes.
 
Seeds are an unpredictable media for outcome. We never know what the end result will be when we plant seeds however with cloning we always know exactly what we will have for a final product after all just take a look at the parent plant! Naturally the first step of this process involves selecting the proper parent to begin with.
 
Select the parent plant by what ever characteristics you are looking for. Try and find the healthiest and the best sample for the species that you are selecting. You should select a plant for the parent that is strong and at least several months old.
 
I like to try and clean out my plant as much as I can prior to starting the cloning process although this next step is not completely necessary. I use it in order to clean the plant's insides prior to cloning it. After I have selected my chosen plant I leach the soil with one gallon of water for every five gallons of dirt that the plant is currently growing in. I will do this for five days in a row before I start the actual cloning process.
 
You may have heard me mention the word explants several times in my articles and perhaps you are not sure exactly what it is. Explants are that portion of the plant cuttings which will be used to produce the clone. Select a young plant and look for the location of the bud that might appear on it. Find one that has not opened up yet. Cut the plant off about one inch from the end. If you have to transport the plant any distances from its current location to your laboratory area make sure that you use a plastic bag that contains a damp paper towel and wrap the plant cutting gently in it.
 
Keep in mind that these procedures explained below will be accomplished within the confines of your glove box and not in the open where your plant sample can become contaminated. Here is a list of the equipment and supplies you will need for this process.
 

Glove box
A supply of sterile water
Dish washing detergent or Tween 20
Baby food jars
70 percent alcohol
Tweezers
Household bleach

 
You should start with a pint jar 1/2 full of sterile water. I prefer to boil the water or to use a pressure cooker. As a last resort you can purchase sterile, distilled water from your local pharmacy.
 
To this pint of water you will want to add several drops of liquid dish washing detergent. In an actual laboratory they would use a product called "Tween 20". This is nothing more then a wetting agent and you can achieve the same thing with the dish detergent.
 
Place the plant cutting in this solution and put the lid on the container. Baby food jars are excellent for use in a home micropropagation lab. Vigorously shake your container for approximately one minute and then pour liquid out. Rinse the plant several times with fresh water and repeat the procedure once again. Now dip the stem in a 70 percent alcohol solution for several seconds and once again rinse it well.
 
Take an additional container and place 30 ml of your household bleach diluted with 270 ml of sterile water. Add two drops of detergent to this combination. Now place the explants into this jar and once again shake it intermittently for a 10 minute period. After the ten minutes is up drain the explants and rinse in sterile water. Cover them again and shake well. Your explants are now ready for use in cloning.
 
It may seem like a lot of work but the key here is cleanliness and sanitation. The cleaner you can get your explants to be the less chances you will have of any sort of contamination destroying your cloning attempts.
 
Copyright @ 2009 Joseph Parish

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