This edited book is focusing on the novel and innovative procedures in tissue culture for large scale production of plantation and horticulture crops. It is bringing out a comprehensive collection of information on commercial scale tissue culture with the objective of producing high quality, disease-free and uniform planting material. Developing low cost commercial tissue culture can be one of the best possible way to attain the goal of sustainable agriculture. Tissue culture provides a means for rapid clonal propagation of desired cultivars, and a mechanism for somatic hybridization and in vitro selection of novel genotypes. Application of plant tissue culture technology in horticulture and plantation crops provides an efficient method to improve the quality and nutrition of the crops. This book includes a description of highly efficient, low cost in vitro regeneration protocols of important plantation and horticulture crops with a detailed guideline to establish a commercial plant tissue culture facility including certification, packaging and transportation of plantlets. The book discusses somatic embryogenesis, virus elimination, genetic transformation, protoplast fusion, haploid production, coculture of endophytic fungi, effects of light and ionizing radiation as well as the application of bioreactors. This book is useful for a wide range of readers such as, academicians, students, research scientists, horticulturists, agriculturists, industrial entrepreneurs, and agro-industry employees.

This reference is a timely compilation of studies of genome size and genetic stability of regenerated plants. It presents 13 book chapters that cover recent advancements in CRISPR/Cas-based genome editing, the use of molecular markers to analyze somaclonal variation in tissue culture, and genetic stability assessment in various plant species, including medicinally valuable plants like Valeriana and Coffea. The book also highlights the role of flow cytometry in investigating polyploidy and provides valuable insights into genetic fidelity assessment of micropropagated woody plants and orchids.The contributors have shed light on the intra-specific and inter-specific genome and chromosome number variation with reference to gene duplication and DNA sequence loss. Molecular techniques for detecting ploidy levels and genetic homogeneity in regenerated plantlets are also discussed. Additional highlights of the book include brief guidelines for experimental protocols for flow cytometry and molecular markers, coverage of a wide range of plants, and supporting references. This is an excellent reference for biologists, geneticists, and plant scientists exploring genetic homogeneity and genome size variation in diverse plant groups.

Mulberry (Morus spp.) is widely distributed tree taxon found almost in every continent across the globe. Habitat of this plant species is very much diversified, as it is found across all climatic zones ranging from tropical, sub-tropical, temperate, tundra, semi-arid to desert (arid) conditions. It flourishes on all types of landforms; mountains, valleys, plateaus, forests, grasslands, hills, plains and arid lands. Successful utilization of mulberry leaf for silkworm rearing and production of quality cocoons has been studied at length. Now, mulberry is being recognized as a multipurpose plant by most of the countries across the globe. As mulberry is eco-friendly in nature, the propagation of mulberry needs to be done at large scale to address the ecological issues like conversion of arid lands to cultivable lands, eco-restoration of degraded lands, bioremediation of polluted land sites, conservation of water and soil, cleaning the air pollution in urban areas, utilization of mulberry in producing renewable energy in the form of biodiesel. Similarly, there is the need to produce the identified and highly commercially valued pharmaceutical compounds of mulberry under laboratory conditions through in vitro culture based secondary metabolite production through enhanced expression under the stress conditions or in presence of elicitors. Lately protocols have been developed for genetic transformation of mulberry through agrobacterium mediated and particle bombardment mediated gene transfer techniques. Biotechnology based molecular breeding techniques could also be utilized in raising the improved lines through marker assisted selection, soma clonal variations, mutational breeding, somatic hybridization, genome editing and other genetic engineering approaches. Apart from sericulture; mulberry should also be utilized and exploited in other sectors across the globe for additional revenue generation, for livestock maintenance, for environmental safety and in promoting human health. These diversified aspects of mulberry coupled with its economic importance in revenue generation through sericulture, animal husbandry and industrial products has prompted us to prepare this book. It will present a comprehensive account of mulberry plant under 9 chapter headings: introduction, botanical features, ecological features, ecophysiological aspects, interactions and development, molecular aspects, propagation and production, economic importance, and global perspectives as well as future approaches.

Major and exciting changes have taken place recently in various aspects of bio technology and its applications to forestry. Even more exciting is the prospect of major innovations that the entire field of biotechnology holds for plant growth in general. The importance of these developments for the forestry sector is considerable, particu larly since forestry science has not received the kinds of technical and R&D inputs that, say, agriculture has received in the past few decades. Y ct the problems of defor estation as well as stagnation in yields and productivity of existing forests throughout the world are becoming increasingly apparent, with consequences and ecological ef fects that cause growing worldwide concern. Policies for application of existing knowl edge in biotechnology to the field of forestry and priorities for future research and development are, therefore, of considerable value, because it is only through the adop tion of the right priorities and enlightened policies that scientific developments will move along the right direction, leading to improvements in forestry practices through out the world. It was against this backdrop that the Tata Energy Research Institute (TERI) or ganised a major international workshop on the "Applications of Biotechnology in For estry and Horticulture" at New Delhi in January 1988. The present volume covers the proceedings of this international workshop.

In the recent past, significant strides have been made in the domain of plant growth regulators (PGRs) and biostimulants. In the sustainable utilization of plant germplasm PGRs and biostimulants play a pivotal role. With a magnified growth rate and less risk of inducing clonal somaclonal variations, PGRs (such as auxins, gibberellins, isoprenoid and aromatic cytokinins, ethylene, and abscisic acid) serve as a boon to plant biologists especially those working with rare endangered and threatened species and medicinal and aromatic plant species. Furthermore, the combined effect of PGRs with LEDs (light-emitting diode) on various aspects of plant development is an area of research gaining attention. The use of biostimulants to promote plant growth, yield and stress tolerance has increasingly gained attention. However, their functional role in the growth and development of plants is not clearly understood.