Cryopreservation plant genetic diversity for sustainable agriculture
Jain, Shri Mohan (2008)
Jain, Shri Mohan
Julkaisusarja
Agrifood Research Working papersMTT:n selvityksiä
Numero
153
Sivut
s. 63
MTT
2008
Tiivistelmä
Plant genetic diversity is highly essential in genetic improvement of crops for sustainable agriculture, and its gradual loss is as a consequence to rapid human population growth, industrialization, deforestation, and natural calamities. This great loss is occurring especially in the developing countries, and will have an adverse impact on sustainable crop production and environment in the future. The conservation, distribution and proper utilization of plant genetic diversity/resources become necessary for the development and improvement of plant cultivars for sustainable crop production; can be achieved by establishing gene/germplasm banks both at the national and international levels. The Gene bank should encourage researchers in the developing countries to survey and monitor the genetic diversity of natural populations and landraces on farmers fields. Cryopreservation or cryo-storage is an excellent system for long-term conservation of elite genetic material of forest trees and horticultural crops. For this, in vitro cultures are suitable, e.g. somatic embryos/ cell suspension, callus, and should be able to regenerate plants without somaclonal variation. For the first time, cryo-storage of date palm somatic embryos was done in Tunisia, FAO/IAEA project, and plant regeneration is yet to be accomplished. Weyerhauser Inc., USA has cryo-stored embryogenic cultures of conifers, and maintains a large germplasm pool of elite genetic material. The performance of cryo-stored material is being evaluated and so far don t show any morphological variation. In Belgium, more than 130 banana accessions are cryo-stored In Asia, National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGRI, India) is the biggest germplasm bank, and conserves mainly local germplasm seed and vegetative propagated crops and introduces new crops as well. In Malaysia, they have recently started a germplasm conservation program with international support. The importance cryo-storage in germplasm conservation, distribution, and utilization will be discussed in the context of the developing countries.
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