A research team led by Prof. WU Lifang from the Institute of Intelligent Machines, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has developed an efficient virus-free propagation technique for Tongling white ginger (Zingiber officinale cv. Tongling), which has both culinary and medicinal value.
The findings were recently published in Industrial Crops and Products.
Tongling white ginger is a Chinese geographical indication product valued for its medicinal and culinary uses. However, traditional rhizome-based propagation is limited by low multiplication efficiency, pathogen accumulation, and germplasm degradation, which restricts large-scale cultivation and long-term variety maintenance.
In this study, using rhizomes from elite Tongling white ginger lines, the researchers established an integrated propagation process that includes explant sterilization, adventitious bud induction, shoot tip virus elimination, virus detection, rapid propagation, and genetic stability evaluation.
The system achieved a maximum multiplication coefficient of 68.41, and acclimatized plantlets showed a 100% survival rate after transplantation, enabling direct field cultivation. ISSR molecular marker analysis confirmed the genetic stability of regenerated plants after repeated subculture.
"The flowchart shows the process of virus elimination and high-efficiency regeneration in Tongling white ginger," said Dr. WANG Dacheng, a member of the team.
According to the team, this work provides technical support for the large-scale production of high-quality seedlings and lays a foundation for germplasm conservation and future breeding improvement.
Establishment of a high-efficiency in vitro regeneration system for Tongling white ginger (Image by WANG Dacheng)