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Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 9/15/2006 Publication Date: 10/4/2006 Citation: Sakhanokho, H.F. 2006. Application of Tissue Culture in Ornamental Breeding. Meeting Abstract. Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: Plant tissue culture can be broadly defined as the culture of plant cells, tissues, or organs under sterile or aseptic conditions. To most growers, micropropagation is the term that perhaps best describes plant tissue culture. However, plant tissue culture plays an important role through its many applications in ornamental breeding. These applications include micropropagation, meristem culture, embryo rescue, protoplast fusion, somatic embryogenesis, somaclonal variation, and in vitro selection. We have incorporated some of these techniques, in particular embryo rescue and in vitro selection, in our ornamental breeding program. Wide crosses are often used to transfer desired traits, but distantly related plants do not readily cross in general, so embryo culture is used to “rescue” the embryos and ultimately regenerate hybrid plants. In vitro selection can be used to develop plants tolerant to biotic and abiotic stresses. We used embryo rescue technique to develop hybrids resulting from two different Hedychium (ornamental ginger) species. In vitro selection was used to identify salt tolerant hibiscus individuals, including those of Hibiscus dasycalyx, a threatened species. These results were presented at the meeting. |
