Meristem Culture

• The cultivation of axillary or apical meristems, particularly of shoot apical meristem is known as meristem culture.
• Involves the development of an already existing shoot apical meristem and the regeneration of adventitious roots.
• Does not involve the regeneration of a new shoot meristem.
• Meristem culture is generally done by:

a) Apical meristem

b) Axillary buds

c) Nodal cuttings

Steps of Meristem culture

a) Cutting the apical meristem

b) Put in a media

c) Cytokinin treatment

d) Growing at optimum environment condition.

Why meristem culture?

• Rate of cell division is high than virus multiplication.
• High metabolic activity, No virus replication.
• No vascular system, no movement of viruses.
• Endogenous auxin level high, inhibit virus multiplication.

APPLICATION

a) Micro propagation

b) Production of virus free plantlets

c) Germplasm exchange

d) Germplasm conservation