ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION Various plant biotechnologies are relevant to the in vitro conservation and use of plant genetic resources. These techniques include genetic transformation for the pro duction of modified plants, somatic hybridization using protoplast fusion, in vitro methods for fertilization and embryo development, the production of haploid plants in vitro, and the production of synthetic seeds using somatic embryos (Lindsey and Jones, 1989). Most of these methodologies are more related directly to the use of plant genetic resources rather than to conservation, although these are potential for the storage of artificial seeds, or the distribution of germplasm in the form of encap sulated embryos or apices (Hasan and Tagaki, 1995). All of these techniques require the use of tissue culture methods, and therefore may be linked with the in vitro con servation activities at locations where tissue culture facilities are available.