Somatic Embryogenesis,Continuous Cultures,Micropropagation System,Bioreactors,Suspension Culture,Bioprocess

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	Somatic Embryogenesis- Somatic embryos (SE s) have been used for micropropagation of several plant species, and in some species they are the only route available for the purpose, e.g., oil palm, date palm, etc. This route is the only route amenable to scaling up to the bioreactor level, and in continuous cultures; protocols for the same have been refined for species like alfalfa, carrot, yellow-poplar, Norway spruce, etc. SE s offers a very high rate of multiplication; 11 of suspension culture may contain 1.35 x 106 carrot SE s.
An automated large scale micropropagation system based on SE s, bulblets, microtubers, etc. has been devised. This system integrates a bioreactor with a bioprocess for separation, isolation mainly based on size and Subculturing of the propagules. An automated transplanting machine has also been developed, which transplants up to 8000 plantlets/hr into a soil mix. Certain varieties of some ornamentals and fruit trees are chimaeras; such varieties must be propagated by axillary shoot bud proliferation, and SE, adventitious bud or bulb regeneration must be avoided. On the other hand, in some ornamental varieties, the desirable variegations are due to the presence of a virus. In such cases, adventitious shoot bud/bulb or SE regeneration is the method of choice, while axillary bud proliferation must not be used since the letter may eliminate the virus.