Horizon Campus trains personnel in plant Issue culture under the patronage of Ministry of Primary industries
With the large-scale cultivation of crops for food a number of serious challenges emerge.One such challenge, the unavailability of high quality plant material, can be overcome bytissue culture techniques which are used throughout the world today as a tool, both in research and in commercial production.
Plant cell and tissue culture is a set of techniques designed for thegeneration, growth and multiplication of cells and tissues using nutrient solutions in an aseptic and controlled environmentthat promotes cell division and genetic reprogramming under in vitroconditions.
Offering benefits such as saving space with less storage to preserve germplasm, creating uniform offsprings, reducing risk of pests and diseases, speeding up breeding , providing the ability to produce an endless amount of plants from one “cutting”, minimal daily care and allowing for year-round propagation, plant tissue culture has today become the standard for commercial nurseries and many commercialscale cultivators.
In developed countries these techniques have been used to a great extent in agriculture, horticulture and industry while in developing countries the techniques have not yet been fully exploited.
Breaking the barriers of this exciting and futuristic industry is Horizon Campus,who now offers Biotechnology programs in collaboration with Nilai University, Malaysia, to include “Plant Tissue Culture Techniques” as a key modulein its curriculum.
The comprehensiveness, industry relevance and high caliber of the degree has resulted inthe program being enthusiastically endorsed by the Ministry of Primary Industries, whohas requested Horizon Campus to conduct workshops for selected staff from the existing tissue culture laboratories on low cost CSUP technique applied to pineapple. Having recently concluded the first workshop of this nature with a resounding success, the Ministry has requested Horizon Campus to conduct similarworkshops, with the intention of taking this technique to village level.
The workshopled and facilitated by Mr. M.D. Piyathilaka, Consultant, Ministry of Primary Industries,focused on best practices with special emphasis on high quality plant material production using low cost technique used for in vitro establishment, multiplication,rooting and acclimatization which creates an efficient and continuous planting material production.The participants completing the workshop were awarded with certificates by the Secretary of the Ministry of Primary Industries, Eng. BandulaWickramaarachchi.
Professor SriyaniE. Peiris, Senior Professor Horizon Campus,expressed “With the increased worldwide demand Plant Tissue Culture will be fundamental for engineering different plants species in order to increase itsdiversity, lower the price of marketing, enhance the production efficiency and thereby increase cultivation efficiency. We at Horizon Campus are happy to lend a hand to the Ministry of Primary Industries to train their officerson low cost CSUP technique,who are already engaged in tissue culture, which can bring the cost of production down by 5 fold. They can apply this technique to propagate any crop species. Thereby they contribute immensely towards production of high quality planting material which we believe will drive the future of agriculture”.
Professor Peiris giving a further insight into their current degree explained that it is focusedon preparing students for immediate employment in the plant tissue culture industry and developed their skillsto examine,analyze and understand the theoretical and practical principles of cell cultureand its applicationsas well as teaching themthe diagnostic and problem solving skillsand the scientific verbal and writing skills appropriate for the field.
“Biotechnology is a precious gift to the 21st century which has drastically changed the future of our planet, andhas proven its importance in almost every field and holds the ability to change the world. Through our degree we hope to train students in Sri Lanka in this exciting and important field of workand to help them play a key part innew advancements and developments that could help protect the country’s food supplyin the face of climate change and a growing population”she concluded.
Further information can be obtained by visiting www. horioncampus.edu.lk, or by visiting Horizon Campus at Malabe