MUMBAI, India, June 22 -- Intellectual Property India has published a patent application (202511034841 A) filed by Indian Council Of Agricultural Research on April 09, 2025, for In Vitro Process For Micro Rhizome Induction And Rapid Hardening In Rhizomatous Plants.
Inventors include Sharon Aravind; Nisthar Edasseri; Thotten Elampilay Sheeja; Karuppanan Kandiannan; Srinivasan Veeraraghavan; and Kantipudi Nirmal Babu.
The application for the patent was published on June 12, 2026, under issue no. 24/2026.
Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel in vitro method for producing disease-free micro rhizome plantlets of ginger (Zingiber officinale). The process involves culturing sterilized sprouted rhizome buds on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP) and Naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) for multiple shoot formation and MS medium supplemented with BAP and 7-10% sucrose to induce micro rhizome formation. The resulting plantlets are directly subjected to primary hardening in a substrate/ substrate combinations such as cocoa peat, vermicompost, coir pith, vermiculite, perlite and then transplanted into grow bags without the need for secondary hardening or trimming. This simplified method improves plantlet survival (over 96%), enhances rhizome yield (300–400g per plantlet), reduces hardening time by 30 days and eliminates the requirement of seed treatment. The invention is suitable for protected cultivation environments such as polyhouses and rooftop gardens. It offers a cost-effective, scalable, and environmentally sustainable alternative to conventional propagation, ensuring uniform, pathogen-free ginger production. The protocol can be adapted for commercial tissue culture and mechanized propagation systems.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
