METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IN VITRO PLANT PROPAGATION Russian patent published in 1998 - IPC

FIELD: agriculture. SUBSTANCE: method involves repositioning strip with vertical cells (cultural vessels) containing grown plants to horizontal position; removing covering from strip; cutting plants grown in cells into explants; transferring explants into cells of sterile strip movable in horizontal plane, with cells containing liquid nutrient medium; connecting covering to strip and moving it from horizontal to vertical position; planting plants grown in strip cells in substrate together with strip. Prior to planting, covering is partially removed from upper and lower cell chambers. Plants are cut in apparatus into explants, explants are transferred and planted into strip cells by means of set of curved knives with transfer legs made in the form of scissors. Length of knives and transfer legs to the center of pin on which they are mounted is equal to radius of arced lower side of cell. Knives rigidly connected with transfer legs and transfer legs without knives are arranged in alternation on common pin axially of cells. Apparatus allows 3,200 plants per hour to be automatically propagated. EFFECT: reduced labour intensity, increased adaptability of plants to ambient conditions. 14 cl, 18 dwg, 1 tbl