Cost-effective in vitro propagation methods for pineapple

We have developed an efficient and cost-effective method for commercial micropropagation of Smooth Cayenne pineapple. In vitro shoots were used as starting materials, and either longitudinal sections of the shoots or leaf bases were used as the explants to regenerate shoots. When these explants were used, the axillary meristems, which usually remain quiescent during shoot multiplication, were able to form new shoots. Subsequent to the regeneration step, additional multiplication was achieved inside a 10-l Nalgene vessel with shoots immersed in liquid medium for 5-10 min/h (periodic immersion bioreactor, PIB). The shoots were then induced to form roots and transferred to soil. Using the above micropropagation method and the PIB, we produced 6,000-8,000 shoots from two initial shoots in less than 6 months. The clonal fidelity of propagated plants was tested in Costa Rican and Indonesian pineapple farms.