Tissue Culture and Micro-propagation
As traditional breeding techniques failed to keep pace with the growing demand for food and could not provide fast and efficient systems for crop improvement, an alternative technology called tissue culture was developed.
Understanding Tissue Culture During the 1950s, scientists discovered that whole plants could be regenerated from explants. An explant is any part of a plant that is taken out and grown in a test tube under strictly sterile conditions in a special nutrient media.
- Totipotency: The unique capacity to generate a complete, whole plant from any single cell or explant is known as totipotency.
Nutrient Requirements: For tissue culture to be successful, the nutrient medium must provide specific essential components to support plant growth:
- A carbon source (such as sucrose)
- Inorganic salts
- Vitamins and amino acids
- Growth regulators (such as auxins and cytokinins)
Micro-propagation and Somaclones: By applying tissue culture methods, scientists and farmers can achieve the propagation of a massive number of plants in a very short duration.
- Micro-propagation: This method of producing thousands of plants rapidly through tissue culture is called micro-propagation.
- Somaclones: Every plant produced through micro-propagation is genetically identical to the original parent plant from which it was grown. Because they are genetic clones of the somatic (body) cells, they are called somaclones.
Commercial Applications: This technology is not just theoretical; it has highly practical applications in agriculture. Many important food crops, including tomatoes, bananas, and apples, are currently being produced on a large commercial scale using tissue culture and micro-propagation methods.
