The Tissue Culture Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture is located at the Union Agricultural Station and is a sub-unit of the Propagation Division. Plant Tissue Culture is a collective term referring to procedures used to maintain and grow plant cells and organs in vitro (in glass) under aseptic (free from mico-organisms) conditions.
It is a tool used by biotechnologists, chemists, biologits, pathologists and many other scientists in the following applications:
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Plant Propagation
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Secondary metabolite production
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Genetic engineering
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Germplasm conservation
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Research
Objectives
The principal objective of the Tissue Culture Unit is to strengthen the propagation capability of the Ministry of Agriculture and the wider agricultural sector through micro-propagation and germplasm maintenance of species of economic and ecological importance.
Procedures Conducted at the Lab
Parent Plant Selection and preparation -
The parent plant is the material from which plant parts will be removed to start the cultures.
Establishment of Cultures -
Small plant parts (explants) are placed in synthetic growth medium under aseptic conditions.
Subculturing -
Explants previously established in culture are transferred from one medium or container to another into fresh medium. Subculturing is done for multiplication in vitro germplasm conservation or plantlet.