Question

Discuss how the property of plant cell totipotency has been utilised for plant propagation and improvement

Answer 1

The capacity to generate a whole plant from any cell/explant is called totipotency. By application of these methods, it is possible to achieve propagation of a large number of plants in very short duration. This method of producing thousands of plants through tissue culture is called micropropagation. Each of these plants will be genetically identical to the original plant from which they were grown, i.e., they are some clones. Many important food plants like tomato, banana, apple, etc., have been produced on a commercial scale using this method. Try to visit a tissue culture laboratory with your teacher to better understand and appreciate the process.

Another important application ef the method is the recovery of healthy plants from diseased plants. Although the plant is infected with a virus, the meristem (apical and axillary) is free of virus. Hence, one can remove the meristem and grow it in vitro to obtain virus-free plants. Scientists have succeeded in culturing meristems of banana, sugarcane, potato, etc.