In the World of house plants a vast majority are tissue cultured, but it’s so rare to see tissue cultured air plants, although it is totally possible, why?
Photo by JC Chukwujekwu and J van Staden; Tissue culture enhances the propagation potential of some Tillandsioideae
epic_sushisushi
I guessing that seeds makes alot more plants than tissue cultures. I hope a more knowledgeable person comes to answer as this is also my question!
blackraven1979
I used to work as a tissue culture tech for an ag science company. Tissue culturing plants is usually long process and takes lots of work and money. If they can grow air plants through conventional breeding, it really does not make sense to go through that much trouble with tc and ll be would be less work involved. I also think that keeping air plants in the jars for long time may not be good for them considering they need some air flow.
parrotbirdtalks
Just my personal take:
The tillandsia market is not lucrative enough to justify the expensive tissue culture. Unlike adroids or orchids, I feel that the demand, and thus profitability, for tillandsia is not high enough for tillandsia farms to be interested to invest in TC.
Besides, there is a cheaper method to mass produce tillandsia. Maybe it’s not as efficient as TC, but ultimately, the cost works out.
However, that being said, there are TC plants out in the market. Rainforest Red is an example. Who knows what other TC varieties are out there. Maybe it’s just the lack of media coverage on tillandsia.
4 Comments
In the World of house plants a vast majority are tissue cultured, but it’s so rare to see tissue cultured air plants, although it is totally possible, why?
Photo by JC Chukwujekwu and J van Staden; Tissue culture enhances the propagation potential of some Tillandsioideae
I guessing that seeds makes alot more plants than tissue cultures. I hope a more knowledgeable person comes to answer as this is also my question!
I used to work as a tissue culture tech for an ag science company. Tissue culturing plants is usually long process and takes lots of work and money. If they can grow air plants through conventional breeding, it really does not make sense to go through that much trouble with tc and ll be would be less work involved. I also think that keeping air plants in the jars for long time may not be good for them considering they need some air flow.
Just my personal take:
The tillandsia market is not lucrative enough to justify the expensive tissue culture. Unlike adroids or orchids, I feel that the demand, and thus profitability, for tillandsia is not high enough for tillandsia farms to be interested to invest in TC.
Besides, there is a cheaper method to mass produce tillandsia. Maybe it’s not as efficient as TC, but ultimately, the cost works out.
However, that being said, there are TC plants out in the market. Rainforest Red is an example. Who knows what other TC varieties are out there. Maybe it’s just the lack of media coverage on tillandsia.