Plant Tissue Culture Research and Development in Ethiopia: A Case Study on Current Status, Opportunities, and Challenges

Abstract

Plant tissue culture (PTC) is one of the well-adapted and practiced biotechnology tools in Ethiopia. After the initial success of tissue culture at the Ethiopian Institute of Agriculture Research and Addis Ababa University, the technology spread its roots to most of the research institutes and universities across the country. Consequently, the technology continues to extend at the commercial level. However, there is a lack of information at the national level on the capacity of national institutes in terms of available infrastructure and skilled human power, the potential of the laboratories for tissue culture-related activities, and existing challenges that hinder tissue culture research and development. This study aimed to assess the status of tissue culture research and development in Ethiopia and identify gaps that hinder its application in various economic sectors. The primary data were collected from 19 tissue culture laboratories across the country using questionnaires and physical observation. Accordingly, the results of the study revealed that Jimma Agricultural Research Center from the federal research institute and Amhara Regional Agriculture Research Institute, Bahir Dar Laboratory, from the regional research institute are relatively well equipped with facilities and equipment for tissue culture R&D activities. Among the commercial laboratories, Tigray Biotechnology Center is well equipped and has the highest production capacity with 40 million seedlings per year. Besides, the assessment revealed that a total of 54 plant species have been under in vitro protocol optimization and development process across all PTC laboratories. Nevertheless, tissue culture application in public and private sectors in Ethiopia is limited by several technical, administrative, and financial constraints. Therefore, to exploit the maximum benefit of PTC technology in the existing facilities, further intervention is critical in solving the identified challenges.

Plant tissue culture challenges in Ethiopia and alternative options for low-cost media

“…This valuable training area has been initiated in universities and colleges since the 1980s and 1990s at Addis Ababa University initiated joint research and training programs in biotechnology with Swedish Universities. The programs made it possible to train staff members in agricultural biotechnology and industrial biotechnology and to establish a modest facility (Wandui et al, 2013;Abebaw et al, 2021). (Broek & Rensink, 2021).…”

“…However, a broader and more concerted tissue culture research program was instituted by the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, which in 2000 launched a broader and more coordinated tissue culture research program focusing on micropropagation, optimization of tissue culture protocol, and virus elimination in economically important horticultural crop species, including banana, cardamom, grapevine, citrus, garlic, potato, geranium, enset, coffee, pineapple, black pepper, sweet potato, cassava, Aframomum corrorima and other high-value crops (Abraham, 2009;Wandui et al, 2013;Abebaw et al, 2021;Seyoum et al, 2021).…”

“…Regional agricultural research institutes such as Amhara Regional Agriculture Research Institute (Bahir Dar Tissue Culture Laboratory), Southern Nations, Nationalities and People Region Agricultural Research Institute (Areka Agricultural Research Center), Oromia Regional Agriculture Research Institute (Adami Tulu Agricultural Research Center), and the Tigray Regional Agriculture Research Institute (Mekelle Agricultural Research Center) have made significant advances in tissue culture (Abebaw et al, 2021).…”

“…Waginos Biotech is still operational but is more focused on ornamental crops for the local market and small seed potato crops. Tigray Biotechnology Center, Dessie Tissue Culture Center, and Bahir Dar Tissue Culture Enterprise play a role in the commercialization and dissemination of research outputs to stakeholders (Wandui et al, 2013;Abrar et al, 2019;Abebaw et al, 2021). The most active private plant tissue laboratory is the Bahir Dar PTC, which produces approximately 500,000 plantlets annually (Broek & Rensink, 2021).…”

“…Most production-oriented plant tissue initiatives in the mid-2010s were geared toward expanding large-scale semipublic sugarcane plantations. Most of the seedlings produced in the various laboratories were concentrated in these new plantations; the Tigray Biotechnology Center alone had a production capacity of 40 million, and the Dessie Tissue Culture Center had 20 million plantlets to supply this market (Abebaw et al, 2021;Broek & Rensink, 2021). Between 2009 and 2019, the government had a plan to expand the area covered by state sugar cane cultivation by more than 330,000 hectares and to boost annual sugar production from 2.25 to 4.1 million tons.…”