MICROPROPAGATION

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 MICROPROPAGATION
It is the artificial process of producing plants
vegetatively through tissue culture or cell culture
techniques.
It is also known as clonal propagation wherein plants
can be populated from a single individual through
asexual means of reproduction.
The following are the different methods of
micropropagation:
Meristem culture, embryo culture, callus culture, cell
suspension culture and protoplast culture.
 ADVANTAGES OF
MICROPROPAGATION
This is a vegetative propagation with enhanced
multiplication rate.
Identical plants can be obtained in limited time.
Shoot multiplication has a very short cycle and each
cycle results in a logarithmic increase in the number of
shoots.
The germplasm stocks can be maintained for several
years.
 ADVANTAGES OF MICROPROPAGATION
It helps in production of pathogen free plants.
In a dioecious plant, this method helps in obtaining
the desired sex of the plant.
Millions of plants can be maintained in the cultural
vials.
It is a cost effective process.
New varieties of species can be propagated.
This method is independent of season.
We can obtain health and disease free plants.
 DISADVANTAGES
A monoculture is produced after micropropagation
An infected plant sample can produce infected
progeny.
This method may not be possible for all plants.
There is possibility of soma clonal variations.
Some plants are very difficult to disinfect of fungal
organisms.
This method demands equipped laboratory and
trained human resources.
APPLICATIONS OF MICROPROPAGATION
Somaclonal Variations
Germplasm Conservation
Mutation Induction
Embry culture
Monoploid and Diploid Culture
Protoplast Fusion
Disease Free Plants
Genetic Engineering
Production of Secondary Metabolites
Propagation of medicinal plants