TNAU Conducts Hands-On Training on Plant Tissue Culture Techniques

Coimbatore: In agriculture, the production and quality of farm produce are ensured through a comprehensive set of practices including the use of good quality planting materials, timely planting, and balanced application of nutrients required for crop growth across various cultivation methods.

In recent years, plant tissue culture methods have revolutionized agriculture by producing high-quality, disease-free, and genetically pure seedlings of many commercially important crops for the benefit of farmers. This represents a giant leap forward in achieving sustainable development goals in agriculture. India's plant tissue culture business is growing rapidly over time, as commercial production of tissue-cultured banana seedlings has begun by organizations for farmers' welfare.

During the hands-on training session on "Plant Tissue Culture Techniques" held at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) in Coimbatore from May 19-22, 2026, the importance of plant tissue culture approaches, key challenges, and future opportunities were highlighted. This training was organized by the Department of Plant Biotechnology at the Centre for Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology.

Participants from diverse backgrounds attended from across India, including Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, and Maharashtra, comprising farmers, scholars, entrepreneurs, researchers, school students, and science enthusiasts.

The session commenced with a welcome address by Dr. E. Kokiladevi, Professor and Head of the Department of Plant Biotechnology. She spoke about the objectives of plant tissue culture and emphasized the key benefits of this training program and the technical methods to be covered in theory and practical sessions. Dr. N. Senthil, Director of the Centre for Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, in his inaugural address, provided statistics on the current state of the plant tissue culture sector and an overview of the various culture techniques to be followed in the training. He highlighted the opportunities and challenges in plant tissue culture and the need for trained human resources to overcome challenges in expediting the production and distribution of tissue culture plants. Dr. K. Venkatesan, Principal of the Horticultural College and Research Institute at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, in his special address, emphasized the potential of tissue culture in fruit and ornamental crops. He also described the successful journey of plant tissue culture at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in producing quality seedlings to meet farmers' needs.