|
Full Length Research Paper
|
|
Tissue culture as a plant
production technique for horticultural crops
Akin-Idowu, P. E.1, Ibitoye, D. O.1*
and Ademoyegun, O. T.2
1Fruits
and Biotechnology Programme, National Horticultural Research
institute, P. M. B. 5432, Idi-Ishin, Jericho, Ibadan,
Nigeria.
2Crop
Utilization Unit, National Horticultural Research Institute,
P. M. B. 5432, Idi-Ishin, Jericho, Ibadan, Nigeria.
*Corresponding author.
E-mail:
bunmiajisafe@yahoo.com.
Accepted 22
June, 2009 |
|
|
|
Abstract |
|
|
|
Over 100 years ago, Haberlandt envisioned the concept of
plant tissue culture and provided the groundwork for the
cultivation of plant cells, tissues and organs in culture.
Initially plant tissue cultures arose as a research tool and
focused on attempts to culture and study the development of
small, isolated cells and segments of plant tissues. At the
peak of the plant tissue culture era in the 1980s, in a
relatively short time, many commercial laboratories were
established around the world to capitalize on the potential
of micropropagation for mass production of clonal plants for
the horticulture industry. Today plant tissue culture
applications encompass much more than clonal propagation.
The range of routine technologies has expanded to include
somatic embryogenesis, somatic hybridization, virus
elimination as well as the application of bioreactors to
mass propagation. Perhaps the greatest value of these tissue
culture technologies lies not so much in their application
to mass clonal propagation but rather in their role
underpinning developments and applications in plant
improvement, molecular biology and bioprocessing, as well as
being a basic research tool. Plant tissue culture technique
though an underutilized tool in Nigeria, it can be
extensively applied in horticulture to increase crop
production. This paper highlights some of the applications
of plant tissue culture to horticulture, the achievements
and limitations of tissue culture and some insights into
current and possible future developments. With rapid
population growth, the total acreages of fruits, vegetables
and various ornamental plants have not been able to meet the
needs of people in the developing countries.
Key
words:
Bioprocessing, clone, micropropagation, somatic
embryogenesis, tissue culture. |
|
