TISSUE CULTURE

SALIENT ACHIEVEMENTS

• Techniques on micro propagation was standardised. A few experimental plots containing tissue culture plants where opened.

• Plant re-generation achieved from the apical buds and nodal explants. Further refinement of this techniques is required.

• Plantlets regenerated from  the anther culture of  C x R. This is the first achievement in a deploid species of coffee.

• In vitro preservation of zygotic embryos achieved under slow growth conditions up to 2 years in C.Arabica.

ON-GOING PROGRAMMES

• Work on the standardization of protoplast culture, and somatic hybridisation and cryo-preservation in progress.

• Bio-technological tools to develop transgenic plants against major pests and diseases.

• Molecular characterization of germ-plasm.

• Development of molecular linkage map.

• Characterization of caffeine degrading genes from microbial organisms.

THRUST AREAS

• Developing molecular markers linked to leaf rust resistance.

• Characterization of coffee germplasm with NA markers.

• Engineering leaf rust resistance in coffee with anti fungal genes from heterogenous sources.

• Isolation of genes of leaf rust resistance from resistant cultivars.

• Isolating of caffeine degradation genes for manipulation of caffeine content in the genes.

• Engineering insect resistance using Bt and proteinase inhibitor genes.