The tissue at the tip of the plant tip is called the meristem. The meristem is always sterile. Germ-free new seedlings are created by meristem culture through tissue culture technology. These germ-free plants do not get diseased. No need to apply pesticides and fungicides to plants. As a result, production costs are reduced and environmental pollution is prevented. In 1952, Morrell and Martin were the first to produce germ-free seedlings by culturing dahlia plant meristems. Currently, pineapple and tomato seedlings have been produced using this method.

Plants that are endangered can be saved from extinction. New seedlings are created from any part of these plants and are being sustained in the world. As a result, there is no possibility of these plants disappearing from the earth. For example – Psilotum.

(i) Tissue culture process involves the production of new plants from plant parts like roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, pollinators etc.
(ii) Tissue culture process produces more seedlings in a shorter time in any season.
(iii) Producing seedlings of extinct plants and plants which do not produce seeds by tissue culture process.
(iv) This process can produce seedlings commercially at low cost. Produced seedlings are being delivered to different parts of the country.

Haploid plants are produced by pollen culture. Adaptation, yield, maturity, disease resistance etc. are improved in haploid plants. Haploid plants such as rice Tangfeng-1, Huabe-702, wheat Jinakhua-1, Longhua-1, tobacco F-211, Tangyu-1, Tangyu-2, Tangyu-3 etc.

1. Setting up a laboratory is expensive.
2. Necessary machinery and chemicals are scarce.
3. Lack of skilled and educated manpower.
4. Plant tissue in the laboratory may be infected by pathogens.
5. Non-sale of produced seedlings.
6. Infected seedlings due to lack of proper maintenance.
7. No new variation is created.
8. Transplantation is difficult as the produced seedlings are small.
9. The value of seedlings produced in the first stage is very high.
10. Delayed fruiting.

1. Seedlings can be produced from any plant tissue.
2. Maternal qualities remain intact.
3. More seedlings can be produced in less time.
4. Plants that do not produce seeds can be propagated.
5. Endangered plants can be saved from extinction.
6. Seedlings can be produced in any season.
7. Cultivars adapted to the native climate can be developed from foreign cultivars.
8. Seedlings can be produced commercially at low cost.
9. Virus free seedlings are produced.
10. Seeds are easy to collect and store.
11. Seedling production of disabled plants in organs and cuttings.

1. Seedlings can be produced from any plant tissue.
2. Maternal qualities remain intact.
3. More seedlings can be produced in less time.
4. Plants that do not produce seeds can be propagated.
5. Endangered plants can be saved from extinction.
6. Seedlings can be produced in any season.
7. Cultivars adapted to the native climate can be developed from foreign cultivars.
8. Seedlings can be produced commercially at low cost.
9. Virus free seedlings are produced.
10. Seeds are easy to collect and store.
11. Seedling production of disabled plants in organs and cuttings.

After placing the explants in the culture medium, the container is kept in a controlled environment. Room temperature is kept at 17-20°C, light intensity 3,000-5,000 lux or 1000-3000 lux and relative humidity 70-75%. Within a few days, the cell divides repeatedly to form a multicellular nucleus. This multicellular body is called a callus. After 5-7 days numerous buds or microflora are produced in the callus. Buds grow due to totipotency of cells. New seedlings are then produced from the buds.

Another important step in tissue culture technology is the preparation of culture media. Usually this culture media is made up of essential plant nutrients. The culture media is prepared with the main and secondary plant nutrients, vitamins, phytohormones, agar agar, glucose, sucrose (2-4%), fructose, maltose etc. in a container. This culture medium prepared with basic nutrients is called basal medium. The pH of the growing medium is kept between 5.5-6.0. The most commonly used culture media are MS medium (Murashige & Skoog, 1962) and B5 (Gamborg et al, 1968) medium.

The first and most important step in tissue culture technology is explant selection and isolation. First the explants are selected. While selecting the explant, it should be kept in mind that it should be healthy, vigorous, disease free and of improved variety. Besides, care is taken to ensure that the desired features are present in it. Later, the required parts such as apical bud, lateral bud or leaf part, dividing cells, meristem, pollen, ovule, embryo, nucellus, protoplast etc. are separated from the explant.