Application of In Vitro Technology to Improving the Yield and Quality of Horticultural and Alternative Crops

Dear Colleagues,

At the beginning of the 20th century, Gottlieb Haberlandt published the results of and conclusions from his pioneering research on in vitro plant cultures, and his predictions soon came true: in vitro culture-based techniques became valuable tools in basic and applied research and found practical applications. Currently, these approaches are used on a large scale for quick and efficient cloning (micropropagation) of cultivars and promising specimens for plant breeding; however, in vitro cultures have more applications in conservative and creative breeding, like germplasm conservation, elimination of pathogens, in vitro selection, mutagenesis, haplo- and polyploidization, transformation, embryo rescue, and the fusion of protoplasts. In vitro technology may be combined with conventional methods, increasing plant propagation and breeding efficiency. On the other hand, micropropagated plants may have a permanently or temporarily changed phenotype (somaclonal variation) and, depending on the chosen activity, some of its symptoms, like rejuvenation and revitalization, may be considered either favorable or unfavorable. In vitro cultures are also expensive and laborious. Such hurdles should be overcome as they hinder the application of these techniques. Therefore, further research on in vitro technology is still needed as it is essential not only in the case of common horticultural crops but also in alternative crops. The latter can be beneficial for small farms in the context of climate change and in sustainable agriculture.

This Special Issue, entitled “Application of In Vitro Technology to Improving the Yield and Quality of Horticultural and Alternative Crops”, aims to present current research on in vitro cultures and related innovations that can progress the propagation and breeding of horticultural crops and alternative crops and, consequently, their cultivation and cropping.

Therefore, papers on various aspects of in vitro cultures for horticultural crops and alternative crops will be warmly welcomed, including those covering, among others, the topics of:

• Optimization of long-term storage and micropropagation of common as well as rare and local crops;
• Micropropagated plants as a source of propagules in conventional propagation;
• Early detection of and prevention of the formation of somaclonal variants;
• Improvements to the health status and quality of micropropagated plants (in vitro therapy, biotization);
• Genetic improvement of crops with the application of in vitro techniques combined with other conventional and biotechnological tools;
• Detection of the relationship between in vitro technologhies and the field performance of crops to improve in vitro selection.

Dr. Wojciech Litwinczuk
Guest Editor

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• micropropagation
• plant breeding
• germplasm storage
• somaclonal variation