What is tissue culture?
Tissue culture, a cutting-edge method in plant cultivation, involves the artificial growth of plant cells in a controlled laboratory environment. This groundbreaking technique utilises a minute portion of the plant, such as a stem or leaf, to initiate the growth of cells. The process unfolds in a sterile setting, minimising the risk of contamination and ensuring a controlled and optimised environment for plant development.
The journey begins with the extraction of a small, specialised part of the plant, known as an explant. This explant is then introduced into a nutrient-rich solution containing essential minerals, vitamins, and growth regulators. The carefully formulated nutrient solution serves as a surrogate for soil, providing the necessary elements for cell division, elongation, and differentiation.
One of the key advantages of tissue culture is its remarkable speed. Compared to traditional methods of plant propagation, tissue culture accelerates the growth process significantly. This rapid pace is attributed to the controlled conditions that eliminate external factors and promote optimal growth. As a result, tissue culture becomes a highly efficient means of generating a large number of plants within a relatively short timeframe.
What are its advantages?
*Tissue culture helps us to produce more copies of the same plant with desired characteristics like big fruits, more fruits, colourful flowers, disease resistance, etc.
*Tissue culture helps us produce plants that do not depend on the seasonal changes in that area for a particular yield.
*As seedlings are made available, planting is possible all through the year.
*All the plants developed by tissue culture are uniform in size, shape, and yield.
*They are exact clones that resemble each other.
*The time taken to obtain a mature crop is very short.
*Crops are almost pest- and disease-resistant.
*Tissue culture techniques are cost-effective.
*The new plant lets can be grown in a short period of time.
*The new plant lets and plants are more likely to be free of viruses and diseases.
*The process can be performed throughout the year.
