Role of Plant Tissue Culture in Protection

The role of plant tissue culture in protection is to aid in developing strains of food crops which are resistant to drought, pests and viral or bacterial disease. This helps developing countries combat hunger and famine, and in the developed world improves economic health and reduces dependency on imports.

Features

• Plant tissue culture refers to the propagation of plant cells under aseptic conditions. Explants (sections of plants) are grown in a sterile solid, liquid or gel medium to produce large quantities of disease resistant or hardy plants, or to propagate a dying species.

Reasons

• The goal of this science is to improve the crop or make it suitable for harsh conditions. In some cases, seeds may not be available; the original plant stock is diseased and it is necessary to cross-breed related plants. Another reason is to introduce genetic material from other plants or species to fortify the stock against a certain disease or threat.

Methods

• Living plants are cleaned with chemicals and cut to create explants; these small slices or pieces are grown under aseptic conditions in a special medium. The medium consists of plant hormones and nitrogen salts in a balanced combination, in the form of liquid or gelled solution. As the plant grows, cuttings (subcultures) are taken and placed in their own solution. Finally, the cuttings are coated with a hormone which allows them to produce roots, and they are transferred to a potting medium.

Benefits

• Plants produced in sterile conditions are free of the diseases that can be transmitted through soil contact. Disease free strains or hardier strains can be produced in large numbers. Near-extinct strains can be regenerated from pieces or single cells. Antibiotics or cells from hardier species can be introduced to the plant cells, to produce a disease-resistant, new plant.