Tissue Culture in Modern Agriculture

Introduction

• Modern agriculture is transitioning into a new era.
• Shift from conventional methods to biotechnology, specifically tissue culture.
• Tissue culture is a laboratory technique for growing plant and animal cells on sterile media.

Applications of Tissue Culture

• Initially focused on medical and drug research.
• Now expanding into various agricultural sectors.

Key Uses in Agriculture

• Animal Science:
  • Embryo transfer and division.
• Forestry:
  • Increased productivity in Douglas fir and Lali Pine.
  • Quick propagation of superior tree specimens.
• Food Industry:
  • Development of protein-rich sweeteners for various food products.
  • Creation of bacteria to inhibit frost formation on crops.
• Crop Science:
  • Development of herbicide-resistant tomatoes.
  • Corn hybrids capable of producing their own nitrogen.
  • Super grains resistant to drought.

Commercial Horticulture

• Tissue culture is most widely used here.
• Orchid Industry:
  • First to adopt tissue culture on a large scale (25 years ago).
  • Helps produce virus-free, genetically identical plants.
  • Example: One grower produces 1,000 daylilies weekly on 30 sq ft.

Advantages of Tissue Culture in Horticulture

• Rapid mass production of plants.
• Efficient propagation from limited mother stock.
• Example: Dutch iris can produce hundreds of bulbs in 3 months.
• Guarantees health status for transporting plants across borders.

Research Applications

• Creating new plants from unrelated families.
• Altering chromosome numbers for improved traits.
• Embryo Rescue:
  • Culturing plants that fail to produce viable seeds.
• Mutagenesis:
  • Inducing mutations for disease, cold, and herbicide resistance.
• Long-term germplasm storage for rare plant preservation.

New Techniques in Tissue Culture

• Encapsulation:
  • Formation of embryos from single cells, coated for protection.
• Micropropagation and in vitro propagation concepts.

Laboratory Setup for Tissue Culture

• Basic features of a tissue culture lab:
  • Preparation Area:
    • Tools: Refrigerator, precision scale, hot plate, pH meter, autoclave.
  • Transfer Room:
    • Cultures are started and transferred using sterile conditions.
    • Laminar airflow hoods to maintain sterility.
  • Growth Room:
    • Controlled environment for plant growth.
  • Office & Greenhouse:
    • Access to records and hardening off plants for sale.

The Tissue Culture Process

• Four Stages:
  1. Initiation: Preparation of explants on sterile media.
  2. Proliferation: Division and multiplication of plantlets.
  3. Pre-Transplant: Hardening the plants for outside conditions.
  4. Establishment: Transplanting into a greenhouse environment.

Advantages Over Traditional Propagation

• Space, labor, and maintenance savings.
• Production of large quantities of pathogen-free plants.
• Year-round operation, independent of seasons.
• Time-saving compared to conventional breeding methods.

Challenges in Adoption

• High startup costs for facilities and equipment.
• Need for skilled labor.
• Small initial size of tissue-cultured plants needing acclimatization.
• Risk of contamination or genetic issues if mistakes are made.

Conclusion

• Tissue culture presents an efficient solution to agricultural challenges in the 21st century.
• Offers promising future prospects for the agricultural industry.