Somaclonal variation and factors affecting somaclonal variation


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DAĞÜSTÜ N.

Bursa Uludağ Üniversitesi Ziraat Fakültesi Dergisi (Online), vol.13, pp.155-163, 1997 (Peer-Reviewed Journal)

Abstract


                Inefficient selection and screening procedure and lack of genetic variation in some varieties reveal necessity of finding new sources for selection of desirable variants in plant breeding. Although mutation techniques and wild species obtain from gene banks have been used for increasing of genetic variation, somaclonal variation (genetic variation induced by cell and tissue culture) offers a great opportunity to increase the genetic variations of crops. The occurrence of somaclonal variation has been stressed by numerous researchers and displayed in many crops (1; 2). Somaclonal variation is successfully applied for selection of agronomically important traits such as disease and stress resistant variants in plant breeding. Factors affecting somaclonal variation are described in this review.

                Key words: Somaclonal variation, in vitro selection, tissue culture