BASIC OVERVIEW ON PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY

Plant biotechnology is a major branch of biotechnology. It may be defined as the manipulation of genetic engineering and plant tissue culture techniques for genetic modifications under consideration of specific purposes. The specific purposes may be the development of transgenic crop plants, disease-resistant crop varieties, somaclonal variants, bio-fortified  crops, abiotic stress tolerance, altered growth/yield, herbicide tolerance, insect resistance, modified product quality and so on. The development of virus-free plants from small explants through plant cell and tissue culture is a major dimension in plant biotechnology. Plant cell and tissue culture help in transgenic plant development. Because in plant biotechnology transgenics followed by plant tissue culture techniques. Plant biotechnology usually employed in the field of agriculture and molecular pharming. In modern breeding program plant biotechnology also plays significant roles. Because modern biotechnology respects the breeding program at molecular levels.

Plant products of biotechnology approved for food use have been qualitative and quantitative modified to contain traits such as:

• Insect resistance

• Disease resistance

• Herbicide tolerance

• Modified nutritional profile

• Bio-fortified crop development