Biotechnological Approaches and Micro-propagation in Fruit Crops
Course Overview
Official detailed syllabus from the ICAR Sixth Deans’ Committee curriculum.
Course Objectives
i. To provide knowledge about the biotechnological interventions and micropropagation methods in a prescribed manner ii. To familiarize students with biotechnological tools in fruit crops to enhance yield, biotic and abiotic stress management and improved quality traits to a considerable extent
Theory Syllabus
Introduction, history and basic principles of biotechnology; Physical, chemical factors and growth regulators on growth and development of plant cell, tissue and organ culture; In vitro culture and hardening: callus culture – types, cell division, differentiation, morphogenesis, organogenesis, embryogenesis; Hardening and ex-vitro establishment of tissue cultured plants; Transgenics and Gene Technologies; Somatic cell hybridization, construction and identification of somatic hybrids and cybrids, wide hybridization; In-vitro pollination and fertilization, haploids, in vitro mutation, artificial seeds, cryopreservation: In- vitro selection for biotic and abiotic stress; use of molecular markers and genomics; Gene silencing, gene tagging, gene editing, achievements of biotechnology in fruit crops.
Practical Syllabus
An exposure to low cost, commercially operated and privately-owned tissue culture laboratories; Tasks include preparing media, inoculating explants for clonal multiplication, inducing and culturing callus, and regenerating plantlets from callus; Methods for sub-culturing on anther, ovule, embryo culture, and somaclonal variation; In vitro mutant selection against abiotic stress; Protoplast culture and fusion process. Development of large-scale mass multiplication; Project development for the establishment of a commercial tissue culture laboratory.
Suggested Readings
1. Bajaj YPS. 1989. Biotechnology in Agriculture and Forestry. Vol. V, Fruits. Springer, USA.
2. Brown T A. 2001. Gene Cloning and DNA Analysis and Introduction. Blackwell Publishing, USA.
3. Chahal G S and Gosal S S. 2010. Principles and Procedures of Plant Breeding: Biotechnological and Conventional Approaches. Narosa, New Delhi.
4. Keshavachandran R, Nazeem P A, Girija D, John P S and Peter K V. 2007. Recent Trends in Biotechnology of Horticultural Crops. Vols. I, II. NIPA, New Delhi.
5. Miglani G S. 2016. Genetic Engineering – Principles, Procedures and Consequences. Narosa Publishing House, New Delhi.