In continuation of Volumes 8, 9, 22, and 23, this new volume deals with the regeneration of plants from isolated protoplasts and genetic transformation in various species of "Actinidia," "Allocasuarina," "Anthurium," "Antirrhinum," "Asparagus," "Beta," "Brassica," "Carica," "Casuarina," "Cyphomandra," "Eucalyptus," "Ipomoea," "Larix," "Limonium," "Liriodendron," "Malus," "Musa," "Physcomitrella," "Physalis," "Picea," "Rosa," "Tagetes," "Triticum," and "Ulmus."
These studies reflect the far-reaching implications of protoplast technology in genetic engineering of plants. The book contains a...

Genetic erosions in plant cell cultures, especially in chromosome number and ploidy level, have now been known for over 25 years. Until the mid -1970ssuch changes were consideredundesirable and thereforediscarded because the main emphasis wason clonal propagation and genetic stability of cultures. However, since the publication on somaclonal variation by Larkin and Scowcroft (1981) there has been a renewed interest to utilize these in vitro obtained variations for crop improvement. Studies conduc- ted during the last decade have shown that callus cultures, especially on peridical subculturing...

While working in the laboratory of Professor Dr. Jacob Reinert at the Freie Universitat Berlin (1974-1976), I had the opportunity to become deeply involved in studying the intricacies of the fascinating phenomenon of somatic embryogenesis in plant cells and protoplasts. In numerous stimu lating discussions with Professor Reinert on this subject, I was fully convinced that somatic embryogenesis would become one of the most important areas of study, not only regarding basic and fundamental aspects, but also for its application in crop improvement. During the last decade, we have witnessed...