Plating Media: R medium + 2 uM Metatopolin + 4, 1 cm3 cubes Russet potatoes. 45 mins. bleaching with 0.525% Chlorox bleach
Replating Media: R medium + 1, 1 cm3 cube Russet potato
Number of Days between Plating and Replating: 118 days
Number of Days between Replating and Vernalization: 216 days
Number of Days between start and end of Vernalization: 120 days (4 months)
Date to Initiate Plating: Jan. 1
Date to Replate: April 28
Date to start to Vernalize: Dec. 1
Results:
2010
The seedlings were plated 10-29-09, replated on 02-23-2010, and started vernalization on Sept. 27, 2010. The seedlings had shoots from 3/8 to 5/8 inches long and 2-3 shoots 2-3 inches long. This is a slower growing species but even still one should start the plating earlier, like Jan. 1. Growth could be better but is O.K. I have tried the R - media which has only 10 g/l glucose but this doesn't seem to make any difference even though Bill Steele thinks it works better. This could be due to population variation.
2012
Experimented with different replate media to see if growth could be improved. To the regular R medium + 1, 1 cm3 cube Russet potato added 20 ml/l pineapple juice. There was not a huge difference in this new media but the roots may be a bit thicker. This media works at least as well at the R medium + 1, 1 cm3 cube Russet potato medium.