Plant tissue culture challenges in Ethiopia and alternative options for low-cost media

Abstract

Plant tissue culture (PTC) is the cultivation of any part of a plant in nutritionally defined media under an aseptic and controlled environment, regardless of season and weather. The application of PTC leads to the mass propagation of varietal, high-quality seedlings of ornamental plants, medicinal plants, plantation crops, fruit trees, and forest trees. PTC technology, on the other hand, is more expensive in developing nations, such as Ethiopia, than traditional propagation methods such as seeds, cuttings, grafting, and so on. As a result, it is critical to take steps to cut production costs and explore alternate choices for present PTC obstacles (budget restrictions, procedural and operational matters, and unfortunate interactions and partnerships). In order to lower the unit cost of crop production, cost-effective procedures and the optimal utilization of equipment are required. This can be accomplished by increasing the efficiency of processes and optimizing resource allocation. Gelling agents, macro and micronutrients, equipment, carbon sources, and the utilization of bioreactors, which can minimize space, energy, and labor needs, can all be replaced to lower production costs. Therefore, these alternative options are recommended as a workaround to the problems and are briefly described in this document.