In Vitro Asymbiotic and Symbiotic Germination Techniques for Terrestrial Orchid Propagation

Orchids produce numerous tiny seeds that require external nutrients to grow and develop into mature plants. In their natural habitat, this requirement is fulfilled by mycorrhizal fungi. For more than a century, orchid mycorrhizal association and its role in seed germination have been studied and implemented for the artificial propagation of various species. In this chapter, we describe a general method for asymbiotic and symbiotic germination assays in the terrestrial species, Bletilla striata, starting from co-cultivation of seeds and fungus, protocorm-based growth assays, and some caveats for more specific conditions. These basic methods contribute to establishing asymbiotic and symbiotic germination methods for various orchids.