Contact Us

New Seedling Development

Utilizing the expertise gained through years of wasabi and horseradish seedling development, we undertake contract development of cultured seedlings for crops facing challenges in seed preservation and strain degradation. Seedling production is a major issue in Japanese agriculture, and cultured seedlings are gaining attention as a fundamental technology supporting the industry.

Leverage Our 40+ Years of Wasabi Seedling Development Expertise
for Crop Sterilization and High-quality Seedling Production

As a processed wasabi manufacturer, KINJIRUSHI has consistently focused on quality in every step of its production, including in-house development and cultivation of raw material seedlings. Horseradish rarely produces seeds and is typically propagated using root cuttings. However, propagation through root division carries the risk of plant viruses and disease spreading over generations, leading to a decline in raw material quality. To address this, KINJIRUSHI began developing meristem culture technology for horseradish in 1979. Since 1984, we have used over 100,000 cultured seedlings annually for horseradish cultivation. Today, we also assist with stabilizing quality and yield and developing cultivation systems for crops beyond wasabi.

What Are Mericlone Seedlings (Meristem Culture Seedlings)?　

Mericlone seedlings are produced by extracting the meristem, an actively dividing tissue at the tip of the stem, and culturing it in a sterile artificial medium. Since they retain the characteristics of the parent plant, they can be mass-produced in a short period while maintaining desirable traits such as good flavor, ease of cultivation, and disease resistance. This technology is widely used for crops such as wasabi, strawberries, potatoes, and ornamental plants.

Are You Facing Any of These Challenges?

  • Growing from seeds results in inconsistent plant growth.
    Mericlone seedlings have uniform traits, ensuring even growth.
  • You want to produce more seedlings, but propagation is slow.
    Mericlone seedlings can be produced even for varieties that do not produce seeds.
  • You've been propagating through root division for years and are concerned about disease. Yields seem to be declining.
    Mericlone seedlings are cultivated from meristems, eliminating (or reducing) virus-related diseases.
  • You want to expand the cultivation of a specialty variety, but no seeds are available.
    Propagation through division is slow and inefficient.
    Mericlone seedlings can be produced even for varieties that do not produce seeds.
  • You want to make cultivation more efficient, but growth is inconsistent.
    Mericlone seedlings have uniform traits, ensuring consistent growth.
  • You have a great plant, but seeds from it do not produce identical offspring.
    Mericlone seedlings inherit the exact traits of the parent plant, allowing for predictable growth and yields.

KINJIRUSHI is Here to Support
your Seedling Development!

CASE

Reviving the Legendary Asparagus: Lasnoble Seedling Project

Biei Town in Hokkaido is known for its asparagus production. The town's unique variety, Lasnoble, is particularly valued for its tenderness and strong sweetness. It was even served at the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit dinner. However, the Lasnoble variety had already lost its seeds, putting its cultivation at risk of extinction within a few years.
Upon request from Biei Town, KINJIRUSHI began developing cultured seedlings for Lasnoble. Through repeated trials, the first harvested batch was evaluated at a tasting event and found to be equal to or even superior in flavor compared to conventional seedlings. Currently, in addition to test cultivation, efforts are underway to introduce the seedlings to general farmers.

Contract Development Process

  • 1

    We Listen to Your Needs

    We discuss plans for mericlone seedling development,
    including crop species, variety, cultivation environment, and seedling conditions.

  • 2

    Signing the Contract for Contract Development

  • 3

    We Develop the Technology and Provide Prototype Seedlings

    The client provides the "mother plant" for seedling production.
    We develop the following technologies and submit prototype seedlings (approximately two years).

    • Technology for extracting
      and sterilizing
      plant tissue
    • Technology for
      regenerating
      plant bodies
    • Technology for mass
      propagation through
      culturing
    • Technology for producing
      seedlings ready for
      transplantation
  • 4

    The Client Conducts Test Cultivation

    Quality check of the seedlings

  • 5

    We Also Offer Seedling Production Services

    We accept inquiries about mass production of seedlings (plug seedlings, potted seedlings, etc.)

Inquiries About
New Seedling Development