Production of food to meet the demands of an ever-increasing human population in the world is the major task and challenge to agriculture today. The conventional methods of plant breeding alone can no longer cope with the situation. The success of any crop improvement program depends on the extent of genetic variability in the base population, but due to denuding of forests and agricultural land, the naturally occurring pool of germplasm is being depleted. An urgent need is therefore ap­ parent to create new variability and increase the genetic base of agricul­ tural crops. Agricultural biotechnology has progressed to a stage in the produc­ tion of plants where specific characteristics to improve their yield, ap­ pearance, disease-resistance, nutritional quality and adaptation to ad­ verse soil conditions can be built into the seed. This concept of built-in quality implies a continuous scientific endeavour to improve plant char­ acters using a wide range of possibilities, and it also implies a scrutiny of the materials and methods available in the world today.

Section I Cereals.- I.1 Biotechnology of Wheat Improvement (With 7 Figures).- 1. Introduction.- 2. Biotechnological Approaches to the Induction and Cryoconservation of Genetic Variability.- 3. Conclusions and Prospects of Biotechnology in Wheat Improvement.- I.2 Wheat: Genetic Variability Through Anther Culture (With 2 Figures).- 1. Introduction.- 2. Technique of Anther Culture.- 3. Variation in Culturability.- 4. Variation in R0 Generation.- 5. Source of Variation.- 6. Variability in Ploidy Level.- 7. Variability Due to Somatic Cell Origin in Anther Calli.- 8. Variability Due to Multicellular Origin.- 9. Variability Due to Polyhaploid State.- 10. Variability in Chromosome Number.- 11. Variation in Chromosome Structure.- 12. Variability in Yield.- 13. Conclusions.- I.3 Wheat: Improvement Through Anther Culture (With 4 Figures).- 1. Introduction.- 2. Various Factors Influencing the Response of Anther in Culture.- 3. The Possibility of Using Pollen Plants for Crop Improvement.- 4. Application of Anther Culture in Crop Improvement.- 5. Conclusions.- I.4 Wheat: Production of Haploids, Performance of Doubled Haploids, and Yield Trials (With 3 Figures).- 1. Introduction.- 2. Production of Haploids.- 3. Performance of Doubled Haploids and Field Trials.- I.5 Durum Wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) (With 3 Figures).- 1. Introduction.- 2. In Vitro Approaches.- 3. Conclusion.- I.6 Rice: Regeneration of Plants from Callus Cultures (With 14 Figures).- 1. Introduction.- 2. Callus Induction.- 3. Morphology of Callus Leading to Shoot-Bud Formation.- 4. Scanning Electron Microscopic Studies.- 5. Cytohistological Studies.- 6. Abnormality in Regenerated Leaves.- 7. Anther, Endosperm and Protoplast Cultures.- 8. Hormonal Regulation.- 9. Conclusion.- I.7 Rice (Oryza sativa L.): Factors Affecting Androgenesis (With 3 Figures).- 1. Introduction.- 2. Induction for Sporophytic Development.- 3. Culture Media.- 4. Culture Conditions.- 5. Developmental Stage of Pollen.- 6. Genotype of Donor Plants.- 7. Physiological State of Donor Plants.- 8. Differentiation of Callus.- 9. Albinism.- 10. Conclusions.- I.8 Rice: Anther Culture for Rice Improvement in China (With 1 Figure).- 1. Introduction.- 2. Anther and Pollen Culture.- 3. Uses of Pollen Plants in Rice Breeding.- 4. Conclusions.- I.9 Rice (Oryza sativa L.): Cryopreservation of Cell Cultures (With 14 Figures).- 1. Introduction.- 2. The Freeze-Preservation of Rice Cells Grown in Suspension Culture.- 3. Freeze-Recovered Rice Cells Repair Several Physiological Alterations Caused by Cryopreservation.- 4. Freeze-Recovered Rice Cells Repair Extensive Ultrastructural Damage.- I.10 Corn (Zea mays L.): Production of Pure Lines Through Anther Culture (With 4 Figures).- 1. Introduction.- 2. Anther Culture and the Induction of Pollen Embryoids.- 3. Modes of Development of Embryoids from Pollen.- 4. Factors Affecting Androgenesis.- 5. Observations on the Progeny of Pollen Plants.- 6. Conclusions and Prospects.- I.11 Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.): Establishment of Cultures and the Regeneration of Plants (With 3 Figures).- 1. Introduction.- 2. Breeding Objectives and the Applications of Tissue Culture.- 3. Establishment of Cultures.- 4. Shoot and Plant Recovery in Cultures.- 5. Embryo Culture.- 6. In Vitro Culture of Anthers and Microspores.- 7. Protoplast Isolation, Culture and Fusion.- I.12 Barley: Induction of Genetic Variability Through Callus Cultures (With 4 Figures).- 1. Introduction.- 2. Callus Types in Barley.- 3. Variation in Chromosome Number.- 4. Chromosome Number in Plants Regenerated from Barley Callus.- 5. Gene Variability Through Barley Callus.- 6. Conclusions.- I.13 Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] (With 2 Figures).- 1. Introduction.- 2. In Vitro Approaches.- 3. Methods of Sterilization of Explants.- 4. Establishment of Callus Cultures.- 5. Suspension Cultures and Their Media Composition.- 6. Protoplast Isolation and Culture.- 7. Anther Culture.- 8. Regeneration and Transfer of Plants.- 9. Genetic Stability.- 10. Physiological and Biochemical Studies.- 11. Conclusion.- I.14 Pearl Millet (Pennisetum americanum L.) (With 3 Figures).- 1. Introduction.- 2. In Vitro Approaches.- 3. Conclusions and Prospects.- References to Section I.- Section II Vegetables, Legumes and Tubers.- II.1 Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] (With 1 Figure).- 1. Introduction.- 2. In Vitro Approaches and Systems.- 3. Conclusions and Prospects.- II.2 Phaseolus: Wide Hybridization Through Embryo Culture (With 2 Figures).- 1. Introduction.- 2. Interspecific Hybridization.- 3. Interspecific Hybrid Embryo Development.- 4. Embryo Culture.- 5. Development and Fertility of Interspecific Hybrid Plants and Their Progeny.- 6. Conclusions.- II.3 Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) (With 1 Figure).- 1. Introduction.- 2. In Vitro Approaches.- 3. Conclusions and Prospects.- II.4 Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) (With 3 Figures).- 1. Introduction.- 2. In Vitro Approaches.- 3. Conclusions and Prospects.- II.5 Egg Plant (Solanum melongena L.) (With 1 Figure).- 1. Introduction.- 2. In Vitro Approaches.- 3. Plant Regeneration.- 4. Some Factors Influencing Plant Regeneration.- 5. Protoplast Culture.- 6. Conclusions and Prospects.- II.6 Cucurbits (With 5 Figures).- 1. Introduction.- 2. Embryo Culture.- 3. Establishment of Callus and Suspension Cultures.- 4. Plant Regeneration.- 5. Miscellaneous.- 6. Conclusions and Prospects.- II.7 Onion, Garlic and Leek (Allium Species) (With 10 Figures).- 1. Introduction.- 2. In Vitro Approaches.- 3. Conclusions and Prospects.- II.8 Celery (Apium graveolens L.) (With 2 Figures).- 1. Introduction.- 2. Crop Improvement Using In Vitro Techniques.- 3. Conclusions.- II.9 Butter-Bur (Petasites japonicus Miq.) (With 5 Figures).- 1. General Account.- 2. In Vitro Approaches.- 3. Conclusion.- II.10 Biotechnology of Potato Improvement (With 4 Figures).- 1. Introduction.- 2. In Vitro Approaches.- 3. Summary and Conclusions.- II.11 Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas Poir.) (With 8 Figures).- 1. General Account.- 2. In Vitro Approaches.- 3. Summary and Conclusions.- II.12 Sugar Beet (Beta vulgaris L.) (With 2 Figures).- 1. Introduction.- 2. In Vitro Approaches.- 3. Miscellaneous.- 4. Conclusions and Prospects.- II.13 Globe Artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) (With 2 Figures).- 1. Introduction.- 2. Need to Incorporate Unconventional Methods.- 3. In Vitro Approaches.- 4. Conclusions and Prospects.- References to Section II.- Section III Future Agricultural Crops.- III.1 Triticale (Triticosecale): Production Through Embryo Culture (With 2 Figures).- 1. Introduction.- 2. Plant Material.- 3. Nutrient Medium.- 4. Embryo Culture.- 5. Transfer of Plants to Soil.- 6. Conclusions.- III.2 Triticale: Production of Haploid and Homozygous Plants (With 5 Figures).- 1. Introduction.- 2. Factors Affecting Production of Haploids.- 3. Development of Haploids and Homozygous Lines.- III.3 Hordecale …