AUTHOR=Rico Saleta , Garrido José , Sánchez Conchi , Ferreiro-Vera Carlos , Codesido Verónica , Vidal Nieves 

TITLE=A Temporary Immersion System to Improve Cannabis sativa Micropropagation

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2022.895971

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2022.895971

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p>The aim of this study was to propagate axillary shoots of <italic>Cannabis sativa</italic> L. using liquid medium in temporary immersion bioreactors. The effect of immersion frequency (3 or 6 immersions per day), explant type (apical or basal sections), explant number (8, 10, and 16 explants), mineral medium (Murashige and Skoog half-strength nitrates, <italic>β</italic>-A and <italic>β</italic>-H, all supplemented with 2-μM metatopoline), sucrose supplementation (2, 0.5, and 0% sucrose), culture duration (4 and 6 weeks), and bioreactor type (RITA® and Plantform™) were investigated. As a result, we propose a protocol for the proliferation of cannabis apical segments in RITA® or Plantform™ bioreactors. The explants (8 per RITA® and 24 per Plantform™) are immersed for 1 min, 3 times per day in <italic>β</italic>-A medium supplemented with 2-μM metatopoline and 0.5% of sucrose and subcultured every 4 weeks. This is the first study using temporary immersion systems in <italic>C. sativa</italic> production, and our results provide new opportunities for the mass propagation of this species.</p>