Micro-propagation (Cloning Plants)

Advantages and Disadvantages of Micro-Propagation.

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Micro-propagation (Cloning Plants)

Advantages

  • Large numbers of genetically identical plants produced rapidly.
  • Species that are difficult to grow from seeds or from cuttings can be propagated by micropropagation.
  • Plants can be produced at any time of the year.
  • large numbers of plants can be stored easily.
  • Genetic modifications can be introduced into thousands of plant quickly, after modifying only a few plants.

Disadvantages

  • A disease can affect the entire species.
  • It is very expensive, and can have a labor cost of more than 70%.
  • Sometimes plants or cultivars do not come true to type after being tissue cultured.
  • Some plants are very difficult to disinfect of fungal organisms.

Evaluation

Micro propagation is used to multiply novel plants, such as those that have been genetically modified or bred through conventional plant breeding methods. It is also used to provide a sufficient number of plant-lets for planting from a stock plant which does not produce seeds, or does not respond well to vegetative reproduction.

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