Tissue culture
Clean starting material is multiplied in a sterile laboratory. Every plantlet is a copy of the same mother plant.
Tissue culture · Aeroponics · Ankara
From the lab to the minituber.
We produce the first generation of seed potatoes without ever touching soil: clean plantlets in the laboratory, roots fed by mist in the greenhouse, pre-basic minitubers on the roots.
Process
Four steps, one roof.
Laboratory and greenhouse share one site. Material never leaves the facility, and every stage is recorded.
Acclimatisation
Plantlets are moved from the laboratory to greenhouse conditions under control.
Aeroponic greenhouse
Roots hang in air and receive nutrient solution as mist. Irrigation, nutrition and climate are automated.
Harvest and storage
Minitubers are graded, rested and held ready for dispatch.
Product
Pre-basic minitubers.
The first link of the seed potato chain.
A minituber is produced from a tissue-culture plant, in a controlled environment and with no soil contact. A seed company multiplies it in the field over several years into certified seed.
- Class
- Pre-basic TCTissue culture class. Turkish designation: Süper Elit.
- Production
- Enclosed, aeroponicNo soil contact.
- Variety experience
- Agria, Jelly, Marabel, MelodyWe have produced aeroponic minitubers of these varieties. Protected varieties are produced only with the variety owner's permission.
- Variety
- Your variety, or public varietiesUnder contract production, material and all rights remain yours.
- Control
- Ministry storage inspectionThe inspection report is shared during the introductory call.
- Capacity
- 5 million minitubers a year1,050 m² aeroponic greenhouse, three production cycles a year.
- Calendar
- 4–8 months from order to deliveryOne greenhouse cycle takes 3–4 months. Timing depends on which cycle the order enters.
- Delivery
- Graded and labelledSample lots available.
- PlantletLaboratory
- MinituberPatgen · greenhouse
- Pre-basic fieldField, year 1
- Basic IField, year 2
- Basic IIField, year 3
- CertifiedField, year 4
- Table and processingGrower
Partnership
Who we work with, and how.
We do not sell from stock; production is planned around your variety and your calendar.
Seed companies
We produce the first generation of the variety you hold rights to, on your behalf. Material and all rights remain yours.
Processor seed programmes
We start the seed chain of your crisping and French-fry varieties in Türkiye, from the first link.
Breeders and variety owners
Rapid multiplication of new varieties and clean material for variety trials.
Public bodies and projects
Early-generation multiplication of public varieties; training and technical cooperation.
- Introductory callWe discuss variety, volume and calendar.
- Information exchangeTechnical dossier and certificates under NDA.
- Site visitSee the laboratory and greenhouse in person or online.
- Pilot productionWe start with a small lot and scale on results.
Saplings
Saplings by tissue culture.
In the laboratory that produces our minitubers, we also multiply disease-free, uniform saplings by tissue culture.
In tissue culture, a plant is multiplied from a small piece of tissue under sterile conditions. Every sapling is a copy of the same mother plant: free of disease and uniform in growth.
Species we work with
- Aronia
- Bougainvillea
- Maple
- Olive
- Citrus: lemon, orange, mandarin
- Cherry
- Plum
Grafting vs. tissue culture
| Feature | Grafting | Tissue culture |
|---|---|---|
| Method | Rootstock and scion are joined. | A plant is grown from a cell or a piece of tissue. |
| Purpose | Higher yield and resilience, fast growth. | Multiplying genetically identical, disease-free plants. |
| Practice | Moderately difficult; needs experience. | Difficult; needs a sterile laboratory. |
| Speed | Moderate. | Very fast multiplication. |
| Success | Varies with conditions. | High. |
| Cost | Usually lower. | Higher, especially at the start. |
Credentials
Registered and inspected.
Original documents are shared during the call and the site visit.
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Türkiye06D.0004Valid until 9 August 2029
Tissue-Culture Seed Producer Authorisation
Production authorisation granted after on-site inspection of the laboratory and greenhouse.
TSÜABMemberPotato group
TSÜAB membership
Member of the Seed Industrialists and Producers Sub-Union.
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, TürkiyeDKRPre-basic lot
Storage Inspection Report
No quarantine pests or diseases detected in the minituber lot.
About
Beynam, Bala, Ankara.
Tissue culture laboratory and a fully automated aeroponic greenhouse on one site.
Patgen Tarım Teknolojileri is an agricultural technology company that brings tissue culture and aeroponic production together on one site. At our facility in Bala, Ankara, established in 2024, a laboratory and a 1,050 m² aeroponic greenhouse work side by side. We produce pre-basic seed potato minitubers from disease-free plants with no soil contact, and we multiply saplings by tissue culture in the same laboratory.
1,050 m²aeroponic greenhouse
5 millionminitubers a year, capacity
2024established
24 / 7climate and nutrient automation
Why aeroponics
- No soil: no risk of soil-borne disease.
- Nutrients and oxygen go straight to the roots; plants develop faster.
- Water and nutrients are dosed precisely; use is kept to a minimum.
- Roots are visible at all times; growth is monitored closely and tubers are harvested in sequence as they mature.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
What seed companies and institutions ask us most. Regulatory points follow Türkiye's Seed Potato Certification Regulation.
What is a pre-basic minituber?
It is the first generation of the seed potato chain. Under Türkiye's Seed Potato Certification Regulation, production in a controlled environment from tissue-culture plantlets, or from minitubers that have never left the controlled environment, is classed as Süper Elit (pre-basic, tissue culture). The international equivalent is pre-basic TC.
How many years from minituber to certified seed?
Minitubers are multiplied in the field generation by generation: pre-basic field, elite, basic and certified. According to the Turkish Ministry, this takes 3–4 years in open fields.
How does aeroponics differ from conventional production?
Roots hang in air and receive nutrients as mist. With no soil contact there is no risk of soil-borne disease. In a 2016 study by Türkiye's Potato Research Institute in Niğde, conventional production gave an average of 6 minitubers per plant, aeroponics 80.
Do minitubers need a rest period before planting?
Yes. Freshly harvested tubers do not sprout for a while (dormancy). The period depends on variety and conditions: in one study, half of the tubers sprouted after 23 to 112 days depending on variety. Planting is scheduled accordingly.
How is pre-basic production inspected?
Producing pre-basic seed by tissue culture requires a producer authorisation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry; the Ministry's 2026 list includes 15 authorised organisations. At the pre-basic stage the authorised producer carries out the tests, and official pre-control starts at the next generation. Patgen's authorisation number is 06D.0004.
Can you produce a protected variety?
As a general rule, producing, multiplying and selling a protected variety requires the variety owner's permission (Turkish Law 5042, Article 14). Under contract production we work with the owner's material and permission; the material and all rights stay with the owner.
How far ahead should I order?
One greenhouse cycle takes 3–4 months; allow 4–8 months from order to delivery. We work out the calendar with you, backwards from your planting date.
Do you sell abroad?
The European Union and the United Kingdom do not allow seed potatoes from Türkiye. Elsewhere, imports usually require the variety to be registered in the destination country, a local importer and a phytosanitary certificate from the country of origin. Tell us your country and we will review the requirements together.
Do you also produce saplings?
Yes. In the same laboratory we multiply aronia, bougainvillea, maple, olive, citrus, cherry and plum saplings by tissue culture. Every sapling is a genetic copy of its mother plant.
Contact
Let's talk about your variety.
Tell us the variety, the volume and the planting window, and we will work out the calendar and terms together.