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As biotechnology produces an unprecedented number of new plantvarieties, automated transplant production systems offer the means for their large-scale introduction via a rapid, efficient and economic method. As labour costs increase, so will automated systems assume even greater importance. Reforestation and afforestation projects, anti-des-ertification plantings and an increasing demand for urban greenery also create enormous demands for the mass production of high quality transplants, in addition to the commercial needs of the agriculture industry.
The application of engineering techniques to modern micropropagation techniques and plant production means that many tasks can be automated, especially physical manipulation and close control of the microenvironment.
This volume provides overviews of the main con-cepts -- plug seedling production, micropropagation, robotization, model development, measurement and environmental control -- with an emphasis on practical considerations. Examples are drawn from flower, vegetable and forest tree species to show how disciplines such as robotics and image analysis have a part to play in plant production.
List of contents
Propagation and transplant production technology of new floral crops.- Comparisons of different plant production methods for forest trees.- Low-temperature storage of bedding-plant plugs.- Present state of transplant production practices in Japanese Horticultural industry.- Automation-culture-environment based systems analysis of transplant production.- Issues in robotic system design for transplant production systems.- Measurement and control in transplant production systems.- Perspective of micropropagation industry.- Mass propagation of strawberry and new alternatives for some horticultural crops.- Micropropagation of forest trees.- In vitro mass propagation of rice.- Towards a model of mineral nutrition in vitro.- Environmental and hormonal effects in micropropagation.- The in vitro environment and its control in micropropagation.- Robotics and image analysis applied to micropropagation.- Automated micropropagation and the application of a laser beam for cutting.- Transplant production robots in Japan.
Summary
Proceedings of the International Symposium on Transplant Production Systems, Yokohama, Japan, July 21-26, 1992
