Propagation by partial tissue culture of Austral Bracken (Pteridium esculentum) for revegetation |
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Authors: | Andrea Kodym Mirini Lang John Delpratt |
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Institution: | 1. Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Richmond, Vic., Australia;2. Core Facility Botanical Garden & Department of Pharmacognosy, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria |
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Abstract: | Austral Bracken (Pteridium esculentum) is a native fern common in many Australian ecosystems and is needed in large numbers for revegetation projects. The main limiting factor for the propagation of locally sourced material is spore availability. A mass propagation system was developed by combining tissue culture and nursery‐based systems. Spores collected over the summer months from wild populations were germinated in vitro on ½ MS medium containing 0.15% w/v activated charcoal. Gametophytes were rapidly multiplied on the same medium. In vitro sporophyte development was unreliable although sometimes prolific. However, gametophytes transferred to a pine bark potting medium with added coir, on a capillary bed in a fog house, produced sporophytes reliably. Across different seasons and populations, 75–100% of the gametophyte explants developed sporophytes within about 9 weeks. Three hundred propagated ferns planted into two field sites within their provenance origins had a survival of 92 and 95% respectively, 3 or 4 months after planting. This report delivers a ready‐to‐use and reliable protocol for the mass propagation of bracken fern of local origin to the revegetation industry. |
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Keywords: | bracken fern in  vitro
micropropagation
revegetation
spores
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