Bioreactor Systems to Mass-Produce the Undervalued Crop, Celosia argentea, With High Nutrient Impact

Celosia argentea is an undervalued crop that shows potential for production enhancement due to elevated leaf nutrient accumulative ability. By investigating propagation using various in vitro culture systems, thidiazuron (TDZ)-supplemented nutrient media enhanced yield from 10 plants per explant in semi-solid medium, to 27 under continuous immersion in liquid media in recipient for automated temporary immersion (RITA) bioreactors, to 63 under temporary immersion in liquid media in a balloon-type bubble bioreactor (BTBB). TDZ in the BTBB system also increased shoot biomass and subsequent nutrient content relative to TDZ-free media in ex vitro plants. Ex vitro plants originating from both continuous and temporary media immersion in BTBBs outperformed those in all other culture systems in accumulating leaf Mg, Fe, Ca and Zn to meet the recommended dietary allowance for males and females. The genotypic variance and genetic advance of the mean at 5% selection intensity varied for each nutrient per culture system, with and without TDZ. Selective breeding at 5% selection intensity would improve leaf nutrient content but is specific to the culture system and the presence of TDZ. This is the first study to use liquid-based bioreactor systems for C. argentea propagation thereby providing new opportunities to upscale plant production for high nutrient-accumulating genotypes.

Practical application: This study establishes a commercially viable protocol for the large-scale clonal propagation of Celosia argentea, a nutrient-rich, fast growing leafy vegetable with untapped agronomic value. Using temporary immersion bioreactors and thidiazuron-supplemented media, the system delivers up to 63 plants per explant, more than 6-fold the yield of conventional methods, while significantly boosting leaf biomass and nutrient content (Mg, Ca, Fe, Zn). These results position C. argentea as a functional crop for health-focused markets and ready-to-cook vegetable lines. The low-input cultivation needs and rapid production cycle (8 weeks in vitro, 8 weeks ex vitro) make it ideal for high-turnover commercial nurseries, contract growers, and vertical farming operations. The systems reproducibility and high heritability of nutritional traits further support selective breeding programs for premium-value cultivars. This propagation platform offers agribusinesses a scalable entry point into the expanding market for nutrient-dense indigenous vegetables with health and wellness appeal.