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Horticulturae
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Innovations in Micropropagation of Horticultural Plants: Bridging Research and Industry
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Innovations in Micropropagation of Horticultural Plants: Bridging Research and Industry

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Propagation and Seeds".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 August 2026 | Viewed by 4707

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Mafatlal M. Kher

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Chemical Engineering Department, Ariel University, Ariel 40700, Israel
Interests: micropropagation; plant tissue culture; plant biotechnology; somatic embryogenesis; in vitro propagation; ornamental plants; medicinal plants; horticulture; greenhouse; plant anatomy; botany; plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria; biotic stress; abiotic stress; plant stress physiology; agriculture; Vitis vinifera; grapevine; grapevine viruses; seed biology; vegetative propagation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Micropropagation has become a genuine game-changer for modern horticulture, allowing us to generate thousands of uniform, disease-free plants in a fraction of the time it takes under traditional techniques.

This Special Issue welcomes interesting studies and opinion pieces from academic and industry professionals examining the most recent advances in large-scale in vitro regeneration of fruits, ornamentals, vegetables, and medicinal plants.

Share your techno-economic analyses, life-cycle assessments, or hands-on comparisons of manual versus robotic workflows—real data that help readers decide which approach makes sense for their operation. But innovation is not just about the lab. We also want practical insights into the journey from flask to greenhouse bench.

Show us how you are tackling genetic fidelity checks, keeping somaclonal variation in check, and streamlining acclimatization so that tissue-cultured plants thrive the moment they hit soil.

Compelling case studies—whether a university spin-out partnering with a nursery, or a multinational deploying your scaled-up protocol—are especially welcome.

This Special Issue will integrate scientific rigor with practical understanding to delineate the future of commercial micropropagation. We will emphasize consistent, scalable processes that reduce manufacturing durations, decrease costs, and guarantee a dependable supply of high-quality planting materials for farmers universally.

Dr. Mafatlal M. Kher
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Horticulturae is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • micropropagation
  • somatic embryogenesis
  • organogenesis
  • genetic fidelity
  • somaclonal variation
  • bioreactor scale-up
  • automation in tissue culture
  • techno-economic analysis

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 2122 KB  
Article
Scaling up In Vitro Crocus sativus Propagation Using SETIS Bioreactors: The Combined Effect of Cross-Cutting and Culture System
by Soumaya El Merzougui, Thiago Souza Campos, Vania M. Pereira, David G. Beleski, Rachida El Boullani, Mohammed Amine Serghini and Wagner A. Vendrame
Horticulturae 2026, 12(2), 156; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12020156 - 29 Jan 2026
Viewed by 795
Abstract
This study aimed at developing in vitro propagation methods for Crocus sativus L., focusing on the effectiveness of temporary immersion systems (TIS) or bioreactors as an alternative, cost-efficient technique for the large-scale production of saffron corms. The effects of the culture system and [...] Read more.
This study aimed at developing in vitro propagation methods for Crocus sativus L., focusing on the effectiveness of temporary immersion systems (TIS) or bioreactors as an alternative, cost-efficient technique for the large-scale production of saffron corms. The effects of the culture system and cross-cutting on saffron propagation were evaluated. Saffron shoots were cultured in TIS and compared with shoots produced using a conventional semi-solid tissue culture system (SS). The recipient material for automated temporary immersion used in this study was the SETIS™ bioreactor. The growth parameters measured for in vitro culture were the number of neo-formed shoots, shoot height, and the number and size of corms. Based on the present detailed study, the highest shoot multiplication rate (9.1 shoots/explant with 7.2 cm of shoot height) was achieved in the TIS system after shoot cross-cutting, while the lowest multiplication rates were obtained in the semi-solid system (1 shoot/explant with 14.8 cm long shoots). Furthermore, the highest corm formation was obtained in the TIS system, with an average of four corms per explant, with a larger corm weight (10.90 g) and diameter (21.78 mm). These findings highlighted for the first time the efficiency of the bioreactor system combined with cross-cutting of the shoot for efficient and scalable saffron corm propagation, thus making a valuable contribution to sustainable cultivation and conservation strategies while meeting the growing demand for this spice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Micropropagation of Horticultural Plants: Bridging Research and Industry)
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14 pages, 261 KB  
Article
Effects of Chemotherapy on the Elimination of Various Viruses and Viroids from Grapevine
by Mihaly Turcsan, Nikoletta Jaksa-Czotter, Zsuzsanna Nagyne Galbacs, Krisztina Olah, Robert Olah, Eva Varallyay and Diana Agnes Nyitraine Sardy
Horticulturae 2026, 12(1), 46; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12010046 - 30 Dec 2025
Viewed by 2027
Abstract
Maintaining grape cultivation requires the continuous production of healthy propagating material and the control of economically important viruses. For more effective virus eradication, it is beneficial to try chemotherapeutic agents that have not yet been used on grapevine. We therefore tested two chemotherapeutic [...] Read more.
Maintaining grape cultivation requires the continuous production of healthy propagating material and the control of economically important viruses. For more effective virus eradication, it is beneficial to try chemotherapeutic agents that have not yet been used on grapevine. We therefore tested two chemotherapeutic agents with different mechanisms of action (2-thiouracil and zidovudine) in addition to ribavirin, which is already used on grapevine. Viruses and viroids were identified in the mother plants of different grapevine cultivars by small RNA HTS (High-Throughput Sequencing), and RT-PCR verified the results. After chemotherapy, the regenerated plants were tested using RT-PCR and the efficacy of the three chemotherapeutic compounds was evaluated. Among the tested agents, ribavirin had the broadest elimination effect (the virus was not detectable by RT-PCR after 8 months) on most viruses. It proved to be particularly effective (the virus was not detectable by RT-PCR in most of the tested plants) against GFkV, GLRaV-4, GPGV and GRSPaV. The use of 2-thiouracil caused high phytotoxicity and was effective against GLRaV-4 among the viruses tested, having no effect on the other viruses. Zidovudine alone failed to eliminate any of the viruses we tested. 2-thiouracil, ribavirin and zidovudine were unable to eliminate HSVd and GYSVd-1 viroids. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Micropropagation of Horticultural Plants: Bridging Research and Industry)

Review

Jump to: Research, Other

29 pages, 1696 KB  
Review
Contemporary Advances and Future Perspectives in Rosaceae Plant Regeneration
by Qi Zang, Dan He, Lei Liu, Mingzheng Duan, Shujun Li, Ke Lu, Jiajun Lei and Shu Jiang
Horticulturae 2026, 12(2), 183; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12020183 - 2 Feb 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 940
Abstract
Members of the Rosaceae family possess substantial economic and ornamental value, making their effective propagation and genetic improvement critical. Plant regeneration represents a foundational technology for efficient breeding, genetic transformation, functional genomics, molecular breeding, germplasm conservation, and large-scale commercial propagation. The regenerative capacity [...] Read more.
Members of the Rosaceae family possess substantial economic and ornamental value, making their effective propagation and genetic improvement critical. Plant regeneration represents a foundational technology for efficient breeding, genetic transformation, functional genomics, molecular breeding, germplasm conservation, and large-scale commercial propagation. The regenerative capacity of explants in many Rosaceae taxa remains limited, despite significant progress. This review systematically synthesized conventional and emerging plant regeneration strategies and critically examined the principal biological and technical constraints affecting regenerative efficiency. A comprehensive comparison was first made among the various genera of the Rosaceae family regarding regeneration processes, environmental conditions, PGRs, exogenous additives, basal media, common obstacles and regeneration suggestions. The application of molecular biotechnology approaches in elucidating the mechanisms underlying regeneration and in enhancing regeneration capacity is also evaluated. Finally, this review assesses the future potential of these advanced technologies for improving regeneration systems in Rosaceae plants, providing a comprehensive reference framework for both academic research and industrial applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Micropropagation of Horticultural Plants: Bridging Research and Industry)
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Other

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21 pages, 2374 KB  
Systematic Review
Acclimatization of In Vitro Potato Plantlets: A Systematic Review of Media Formulation, Light Quality, and Bio-Priming Strategies
by Guillermo Alexander Jácome Sarchi, Nataly Tatiana Coronel Montesdeoca, Stalin Aldair De la Cruz Sarchi, Francisca Hernández and Rafael Todos Santos Martínez
Horticulturae 2026, 12(5), 597; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12050597 (registering DOI) - 12 May 2026
Viewed by 363
Abstract
The production of pre-basic (G0) seed tubers underpins the certified potato value chain. However, the transition from in vitro laboratory conditions to the ex vitro greenhouse environment remains a persistent production constraint, with reported mortality rates of 50–70%. This systematic review, conducted in [...] Read more.
The production of pre-basic (G0) seed tubers underpins the certified potato value chain. However, the transition from in vitro laboratory conditions to the ex vitro greenhouse environment remains a persistent production constraint, with reported mortality rates of 50–70%. This systematic review, conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines, synthesizes data from 63 selected studies (spanning 2010–2026) to propose a conceptual “Physiological Competence Framework”. We introduce a conceptual hypothesis termed the “Nitrogen Paradox”, which suggests that excessive ammonium influx may inhibit lignin biosynthesis, explaining the structural vulnerability of the vitrotype. Our analysis proposes three pillars for acclimatization success: (1) Nutritional hardening and exogenous PGR modulation, characterized by reduced nitrogen and sucrose levels to mitigate hyperhydricity; (2) photo-autotrophic induction, where optimized LED spectra replace conventional lighting to stimulate stomatal functionality; and (3) rhizosphere engineering, utilizing bio-priming with Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) to create a biotic shield against transplant shock. Furthermore, we examine emerging evidence for nanoparticle-based stress priming (AgNPs, ZnNPs). The evidence supports replacing high-nitrogen multiplication media with reduced-nitrogen formulations, replacing fluorescent lamps with balanced Red–Blue LED spectra, and incorporating PGPR bio-priming before transplant. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Micropropagation of Horticultural Plants: Bridging Research and Industry)
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