By Denise Méthé
When you want to break into the market to sell hops plants to commercial growers across Canada and the United States, you know that the biggest challenge is to provide clean plants to your buyers. Nothing is more upsetting to the commercial grower than the prospect of introducing plants that carry any one of numerous viral, fungal or bacterial pathogens that could ruin their investments. When my husband Robert and I started Northeast Plants Inc. in eastern Canada a few years ago, we were especially aware of that. I was a scientist and he came from generations of horticultural professionals. We knew the risk and we knew what we had to do to solve it. We knew that not only did we have to grow clean plants, but we had to be able to convince our buyers as a newcomer in the industry that we were doing it right. That is why we opted to propagate our plants in vitro to allow them to stay perfectly clean through the propagation progress. We combined 80 years of horticultural experience with modern science to use the process scientists called micro-propagation or “tissue culture” to grow plants in our specially equipped facilities. Tissue culture is essentially an alternative way to propagate plants as opposed to the traditional vegetative way. The advantage is that in vitro growing plants normally start life free from bacterial and fungal diseases. While the concept has been studied as far back as 1838, and tried (and failed) as early as 1902, it is only now gaining interest as an alternative propagation method to ensure clean plants. In Canada, there is growing interest in it and indeed, Robert has been asked to participate in a national clean plants group to help other growers learn more about this option that is being studied with great interest by growers of forest and fruit trees as well. The in vitro growing technique of micro propagation has additional advantages to the grower, besides yielding clean plants. It requires a much smaller space than traditional vegetative propagation. There is a higher multiplication rate. As well, by being able to conduct the process and grow in soilless sterile potting mix in a temperature and humidity controlled greenhouse environment as we do, you are free from depending on the seasons, you have controlled culture conditions and freedom from microbes. We have found that once a plant tissue culture line is established, it can give a continuous supply of young plants throughout the entire year. The time required to grow is shortened considerably because you do not have to wait through the entire life cycle of seed development. We can see this science working for other growers of different kinds of plants as well. Taking an explant does not usually destroy the mother plant, so it is possible using this method to safely clone a rare or endangered plant. From the beginning we also planned to sell our plants both in Canada and the United States, and we have found that being able to produce plants in a virus free state also facilitates movement of plants across borders. Denise Méthé and her husband Robert own and operate Northeast Plants Inc., supplier of healthy, clean hops plants to commercial growers across Canada and the United States. Based in New Brunswick in eastern Canada, they can be reached by calling 506-856-0049 or emailing [email protected]. Learn more about varieties sold at www.northeastplants.ca.
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Denise Méthé and her husband Robert own and operate Northeast Plants Inc., supplier of healthy, clean hops plants to commercial growers across Canada and the United States. Based in New Brunswick in eastern Canada, they can be reached by calling 506-856-0049 or emailing [email protected] Archives
April 2022
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