Yakima Chief Ranches wants to equip our growers with the tools necessary to produce the best quality crop. In order to do that, we key in on our propagation methods involving both our commercial lab and greenhouse operations. Both work in conjunction to provide the healthiest plants possible, setting up our growers and ultimately the entire supply chain for sustainable success.
The first step in the propagation process is to select the desired plant from our mother stock inventory and conduct viral therapy through meristemming. The plant tissue extracted is placed onto a nutrient-rich medium and is grown into a full plantlet.
Once the plant tissue has evolved into a plantlet and is received by our commercial lab team, it is multiplied monthly via tissue culture until reaching the target quantity. These plantlets are virus free and genetically identical to the parent plant.
Our tissue culture inventory is maintained in the commercial lab until it is needed by the greenhouse. This allows the plants to live in a controlled environment, encouraging exponential growth. Our large TC inventory enables us to remain flexible and responsive to industry needs.
Once the plantlets have reached a sufficient size, they can be transferred to a soil medium for further growth and development. From there, we condition the plants in our greenhouses to ensure they are ready for the outside environment.
The final step is to deliver the potted, fully grown plants to our growers’ fields for cultivation. In total, this is an 8-10 week growing cycle.