Question

What are somaclonal variations and what are the prospects of their use in crop improvement programmes?

Answer 1

Somaclonal variation is the variation seen in plants that have been produced by plant tissue culture. Genetic variations occur in undifferentiated cells, isolated protoplasts, calli, tissues and morphological traits of in vitro raised plants. Micropropagated plants, in various crops, such as strawberry, papaya, banana, grapes, pineapple, citrus, tomato, cucumber, watermelon, rhododendron, orchids, etc., are preferred over plants propagated through conventional means. This technology holds ample scope in crop improvement of horticultural crops, which are largely propagated vegetatively, partly, due to reasons like longer juvenile phase as in perennial fruit crops, occasional inbreeding depression, self and cross incompatibility, narrow genetic base especially in ornamentals, etc.