A REVIEW ON APPLICATION OF SOMACLONAL VARIATION IN IMPORTANT HORTICULTURE CROPS

The current review identifies and discusses research work on the application of somaclonal variation in important horticulture crops. Somaclonal variations in plant tissue culture give rise to the production of novel horticultural genotypes. New variants are produced in potato, strawberry, tulip, banana, chilli pepper etc. Qualitative traits such as flower colour, plant height, fruit shape, fruit colour, flowering habit are improved in selected variants. Varieties’ resistance and tolerance to biotic (disease, insects) and abiotic (salinity, drought, water logging, toxins) stress are developed from in vitro genetic changes. In banana-‘Tai-Chiao No. 5’ and ‘S.4’ in myrobalan, are the variants selected having resistance to Fusarium wilt and tolerance to water logging respectively. Somaclonal variants which are tolerant to stress and toxins are selected/produced in rough lemon and kiwi fruit. Somaclonal variation can be utilized as non-conventional breeding method for the improvement of crop against biotic stress. In vitro genetic changes are now used for obtaining variants with complex agronomic characters in important horticulture crops. There are different crops like potato, java citronella, geranium which has achieved new variants with increased yield and quality, namely ‘SVP 53’, ‘CIMAP/Bio-13’, and ‘CIM Pawan’. Genetic variation in plant tissue culture is an effective tool for selecting variants and it offers a great scope for breeders.