Tissue Culture and Somatic Fusion in Plants

Molecular biology is a great avenue to combat climatic risks and challenges in agriculture. Interventions have improved the seasonal fluctuation in the supply of agricultural produce, and now, the availability of off-season produce is a very common global phenomenon. Plant cell culture is the sterile growth and multiplication of cells in an artificial nutrient media and axenic-controlled environment. It enhances the nutritional value of crop plants, provides disease-free plant material and somatic hybrids, makes germplasm preservation and conservation feasible, and promotes the synthesis of secondary metabolites and compounds of industrial interest. It provides the best quality planting material and compounds to farmers and industry. Somatic cell fusion is the induced fusion of protoplasts acquired from different or the same species. The new hybrid contains traits of fused species; hence, they have different genetics from their parents. This chapter entails comprehensive knowledge, including history and advancement in plant tissue culture and somatic hybridization.