Protocols for Improvement of Black Pepper (Piper nigrum L.) Utilizing Biotechnological Tools.
Black pepper, Piper nigrum L., the "King of spices" is the most widely used spice growing in the South-Western region of India. The humid tropical evergreen forest bordering the Malabar Coast (Western Ghats is one of the hot spot areas of plant bio-diversity on earth) is its center of origin and diversity. However, the crop faces constraints like rampant fungal and viral diseases, lack of disease free planting material, hence biotechnological tools can be utilized to address these problems and strides have been made successfully. The standardization of micropropagation, somatic embryogenesis, in vitro conservation, protoplast isolation, and genetic transformation protocols are described here. The protocols could be utilized to achieve similar goals in the related species of Piper too.
All India Coordinated Research Project on Spices, Indian Institute of Spices Research, Kozhikode, 673 012, Kerala, India. nirmalbabu30@hotmail.com.
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Nirmal Babu
Providence Women's College, Kozhikode, 673 009, India.
Minoo
M
Divakaran
All India Coordinated Research Project on Spices, Indian Institute of Spices Research, Kozhikode, 673 012, Kerala, India.
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Yamuna
All India Coordinated Research Project on Spices, Indian Institute of Spices Research, Kozhikode, 673 012, Kerala, India.
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Ravindran
World Noni Research Foundation, Chennai, 600 020, India.
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KV
Peter
D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D014644:Genetic Variation; D029222:Piper nigrum / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D000069600:Plant Breeding / Q000379:methods*; D058439:Plant Somatic Embryogenesis Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D014170:Transformation, Genetic
D018744:DNA, Plant
Artificial/synthetic seeds; Cryopreservation; Embryo culture; Genetic transformation; In vitro conservation; Micropropagation; Plant regeneration; Somatic embryogenesis; Suspension cultures