We do not have the
possibility to prove a culture
is free of bacteria.
Sometimes symptoms
of bacterial infestation are
visible on the plant material or
on/in the culture
medium. Often visible symptoms appear late
in
culture or after a few subcultures. They may also
not
appear at all, but create problems in the early
stages of
acclimatization.
Not all bacteria are pathogenic, they may
even
have beneficial effects. Some may even help the plants
to fight off infestation by pathogenic bacteria when transplanted
in Stage 4.
|
|
Agrobacterium
Bacillus
Enterobacter
Pseudomonas
Lactobacillus
Staphylococcus
|
3 %
13 %
12 %
19 %
11 %
26 %
|
Most
frequently observed bacteria species in tissue culture
(Leifert &
Waites, 1990)
|
