Micropropagation Technology for Improvement of Ornamental Plants

One of the most recent commercial uses of plant tissue culture techniques is micropropagation. It relates to the development of clones from different plant tissues under in vitro condition. Traditional asexual propagation methods are being replaced by micropropagation technology. This is the most reliable method for the propagation of various commercially significant ornamental plant species, including those with high value in the foliage and flowering plant industries and also for rapid and large multiplication of genetically identical clones of individual plants. Micropropagation was proved to be very effective for orchids as well and has been accomplished by the use of unique practical approaches, including shoot tip culture, in vitro flower induction and liquid culture. Culture medium, type of explants, plant growth hormones, light and temperature are the key regulators of in vitro propagation of ornamental plants. To enhance the quality of ornamental plants, genetic engineering approaches were well reported in various studies. Cryopreservation of ornamental plant tissues such as pollens, seeds, embryos and shoot tips, were also reported successfully. The main focus of this chapter is to review and highlight current advancements in micropropagation technologies which are highly useful for the improvement of ornamental plant species.