Micropropagation technology and its applications for crop improvement

Abstract

Micropropagation is one of the current commercial applications of plant tissue culture technologies. It refers to the in vitro clonal propagation of plants from small plant tissues. Micropropagation technology is preferred over the traditional asexual propagation methods. Micropropagation ensures rapid and mass multiplication of genetically identical copies of individual plants, resulting in rejuvenation of old cultivars and quick regeneration of new cultivars resistant to biotic and abiotic stresses. This technology proved to be particularly efficient for orchids and recalcitrant plants. Micropropagation of recalcitrant plants and orchids, such as Paphiopedilum delenatii, has been achieved using novel practical methods including wounding technique in combination with liquid culture and stem node culture. Crop improvement using somaclonal variation found in the in vitro cultured cells has also been accomplished, and many somaclonal variants have been released. The focus of this chapter is to discuss and highlight those advances in micropropagation technology as well as somaclonal variants for crop improvement achieved over the recent past years.