ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on development and evaluation of plant regeneration procedures, and on evaluation of somatic tissue-derived plants. Regeneration of numerous genetically identical plants from potentially superior plants derived from cell cultures is an important part of the fescue germplasm evaluation process. The chapter shows that how successful use of fescue cell and tissue cultures can contribute to more rapid isolation of pure lines that can speed up genetic improvement of this important wind-pollinated, self-infertile, polyploid perennial grass species. Photo destructability of various components of the medium should also be considered when selecting a light regime for tissue culture and for plant regeneration from cell and/or tissue cultures. The plants regenerated from embryo-derived tissue cultures have a high probability of being genetic clones because of the nature of the explant source. Embryo-derived cultures are useful for development of medium requirements and physical environment conditions for a given species.
