Introduction to Plant Biotechnology

The techniques of plant organ, tissue and cell culture have evolved over several decades (Table 1). These techniques combined with recent advances in developmental, cellular and molecular genetics and using conventional plant breeding have turned plant biotechnology into an exciting research field with significant impact on agriculture, horticulture and forestry. There has also been a growing interest in the use of suspension and immobilised plant cell cultures and organ cultures for the production of fine chemicals and some specific biotransformation reactions.