Acclaimed as the most practical guide to plant tissue culture, the book is now even better and introduces new developments in biotechnology, such as genetic engineering and cell culture.

Thirty years ago, in vitro propagation was a new technique for producing plants, and Lydiane Kyte’s Plants from Test Tubes became the standard work on the topic. The new fourth edition has been thoroughly revised and updated to reflect the many advances in science and technology, including the five accepted sequential stages of micropropagation. Ten new plants have been added. This in turn has greatly expanded the already extensive bibliography. Among the new topics that have been introduced or expanded on are embryo culture for breeding, somaclonal variation, anther culture, somatic embryogenesis, cryopreservation, and genetic engineering. More ornamental plant examples are given and many new illustrations provided, including a chronology of discoveries in micropropagation.

In Vitro Culture of Higher Plants presents an up-to-date and wide- ranging account of the techniques and applications, and has primarily been written in response to practical problems. Special attention has been paid to the educational aspects. Typical methodological aspects are given in the first part: laboratory set-up, composition and preparation of media, sterilization of media and plant material, isolation and (sub)culture, mechanization, the influence of plant and environmental factors on growth and development, the transfer from test-tube to soil, aids to study. The question of why in vitro culture is practised is covered in the second part: embryo culture, germination of orchid seeds, mericloning of orchids, production of disease-free plants, vegetative propagation, somaclonal variation, test-tube fertilization, haploids, genetic manipulation, other applications in phytopathology and plant breeding, secondary metabolites.

Plant Tissue Culture Techniques and Experiments is a manual that contains laboratory exercises about the demonstration of the methods and different plant materials used in plant tissue culture. It provides an overview on the plant cell culture techniques and plant material options in selecting the explant source. This book starts by discussing the proper setup of a tissue culture laboratory and the selection of the culture medium. It then explains the determination of an explant which is the ultimate goal of the cell culture project. The explant is a piece of plant tissue that is used in tissue culture. Furthermore, the book discusses topics about callus induction, regeneration and morphogenesis process, and haploid plants from anther and pollen culture. The meristem culture for virus-free plants and in vitro propagation for commercial propagation of ornamentals are also explained in this manual. The book also provides topics and exercises on the protoplast isolation and fusion and agrobacterium-mediated transformation of plants. This manual is intended for college students, both graduate and undergraduate, who study chemistry, plant anatomy, and plant physiology.

Acclaimed as the most practical guide to plant tissue culture, the book is now even better and introduces new developments in biotechnology, such as genetic engineering and cell culture.

Introduction and techniques; Introductory history; Laboratory organisation; Media; Aseptic manipulation; Basic aspects; Cell culture; Cellular totipotency; Somatic embryogenesis; Applications to plant breeding; Haploid prodution; Triploid production; In vitro pollination and fertilization; Zygotic embryo culture; Somatic hybridisation and cybridisation; Genetic transformation; Somaclonal and gametoclonal variant selection; Application to horticulture and forestry; Production of disease-free plants; clonal propagation; General applications; Industrial applications: secondary metabolite production; Germplasm conservation.