PLANT PROPAGATION BY TISSUE CULTURE - BACKGROUND VOL.1

Procedures for plant tissue culture have been developing from ca. 1930 onwards and are now essential in many domains of science and teaching. The use of these techniques for plant propagation only began to emerge some 40 years later. The first edition of 'Plant Propagation by Tissue Culture' by Edwin F. George appeared in 1986. A second edition consisting of two volumes appeared in 1993 and 1996. For researchers and students, George's books have become the standard works on in vitro plant propagation. These volumes also contain a wealth of information crucial for researchers and companies working in related areas; particularly plant breeding, genetic engineering, phytopathology, production of secondary metabolites and conservation. Scientific knowledge has expanded rapidly since the second edition and it would now be a daunting task for a single author to cover all aspects adequately. Therefore, in this third edition, topics are being covered by a number of specialists in the field. However, this edition still maintains the integration that was characteristic of the previous editions. The first volume of the new edition highlights the scientific background of in vitro propagation. The second volume, which is in preparation, will cover the practice of micropropagation and describe its various applications.