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Title: INTERACTIONS OF CULTURE VESSELS, MEDIA VOLUME, CULTURE DENSITY, AND CARBON DIOXIDE LEVELS ON LETTUCE AND SPEARMINT SHOOT GROWTH IN VITRO

Author
item Tisserat, Brent

Submitted to: Plant Cell Reports
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/12/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: A major bi-product in alcohol fermentation is carbon dioxide (CO2). An equal amount of CO2 is generated for every gallon of ethanol in the fermentation process. This work was conducted in an effort to determine if this excess CO2 can be used for a value-added product. Some of the physical and biological parameters that influence optimum growth of plants in combination with ultra-high CO2 levels (>10,000 ppm) were studied in order to find the best situation for the employment of CO2. For example, growth rates can be accelerated 4x or more by growing plants in larger containers under ultra-high CO2 levels. This information will benefit the commercial tissue culture/nursery industry in accelerating the growth of plants and finding use for the excess CO2 generated during the fermentation process.

Technical Abstract: The influence of culture chamber capacity, medium volume, and culture density on the growth yields of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and spearmint (Mentha spicata L.) shoots were determined in an environment containing either 350 or 10,000 umol mol**-1 CO2 after 8 weeks of incubation. High positive correlations occurred between the culture vessel capacity and spearmint fresh weight, leaf number, root number, and shoot number. Similarly, high positive correlations occurred between culture vessel capacity and lettuce fresh weight, leaf number, and root number. Higher fresh weights, leaf numbers, and root numbers were obtained from lettuce and spearmint shoots when cultured in 1-quart Mason jars containing 100 or 150 ml medium aliquots compared to jars containing 25 or 50 ml medium aliquots within an environment containing either 350 or 10,000 umol mol**-1 CO2. High culture density decreased growth yields and this phenomenon could only be slightly off-set by employment of an elevated CO2 environment or larger culture vessels.