Abstract:
The in vitro propagation to produce true-to-type plants are now well accepted worldwide for commercial propagation and production of horticultural crops. Fruits and vegetables contain valuable bioactive components that play significant role in anti-tumor, anti-oxidant, anti-ulcer, and anti-inflammatory activities. Although significant success has been achieved in the production of true-to-type horticultural crops using in vitro techniques, occurrence of variation in micropropagated plants is a major concern in commercial production. In the current presentation, in depth progress of somaclonal variation (genetic and epigenetic) in small fruit micropropagation is described. It also includes different molecular techniques used to monitor epigenetics in micropropagated berry crops along with application of epigenetic variation in micropropagated berry crops.
Audience Take Away:
- In vitro propagation; molecular techniques; somaclonal variations; DNA methylation
- Applications of epigenetics in horticultural crop improvement
Biography:
Dr. Samir C. Debnath, P.Ag. is a Research Scientist at the St. John’s Research and Development Centre of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) in Newfoundland and Labrador and an Adjunct Professor of Biology at the Memorial University of Newfoundland. He has authored and co-authored more than 120 publications in peer-reviewed journals including review papers and book chapters. He has been a keynote speaker and an invited speaker at a number of international and national conferences and meetings, was the President of the Newfoundland and Labrador Institute of Agrologists (P.Ag.) and the Canadian Society for Horticultural Science; the Editor-in-Chief of the journal: Scientia Horticulturae, and a Special Issue Editor of Agronomy (MDPI). He was the Country Representative for Canada and the Council Member of the International Society for Horticultural Science. His research concerns biotechnology along with conventional method-based value-added small fruit and medicinal plant production, propagation and genetic enhancement. Much of his current work focuses on wild germplasm, antioxidant activity, biodiversity and micropropagation for berry crop improvement using in vitro and molecular techniques combined with conventional methods.
