Set up more tissue culture labs for agri development

This was disclosed at a seminar on 'Application of plant tissue culture for agricultural development in Bangladesh' yesterday, organised by Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) Alumni Association of Bangladesh.

The speakers called for establishing more laboratories to supply quality seeds to the domestic market and also to earn foreign exchange by exporting micropropagated plant materials.

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Minister for Science, Information and Communications Technology Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan addressed the function as chief guest and the association President Dr M Enamul Hoq was in the chair.

The tissue culture is a sunrise technology for the multiplication of superior plant on a large scale on a perpetual basis and for production of novel and improved plants, said Director of Atomic Energy Commission Dr Mokbul Hossain in his keynote paper.

"Tissue culture in simple terms refers to the cultivation of cells and tissues free from the mother plant in appropriate nutrient substance under sterile condition. The cells in culture divide, multiply and produce compounds specific to the plants."

Since these plants are identical to mother plants, tissue culture has been effectively used for commercial production. Application of the plant tissue culture will be particularly rewarding in the areas of agriculture, floriculture, agro-forestry, plant medicine and gene transfer, he added.

Prof. Hadiuzzaman said plant tissue culture techniques have opened up a new horizon in the development of agribusiness and agro-industry throughout the world.

It is high time to formulate a strategy for the prospective area, he added.

He said it is estimated that there is a world market potential of 15 billion US dollars per year for tissue culture products. At present, the demand for the micropropagated plants far exceeds the production of commercial laboratories.

Agriculture is likely to remain as a large part of Bangladesh's economy well into the next century, Prof. Hadiuzzaman said.

With the vast majority of population living in the rural areas and more than half of them living below the poverty line, no growth and poverty alleviation strategy can be succeeded without a healthy agriculture sector, he added.

Prime minister's Principal Secretary Dr Kamal Siddiqui, Jica resident representative Takasi Sakamoto and President of Tissue Culture and Plant Association Dr Hadiuzzaman also spoke.