AGR569: Biotechnology for Plantation Crops / Faculty of Plantation and Agrotechnology

This course presents an overview of the techniques and underlying theory of plant tissue culture and genetic engineering, research and commercial applications, and issues/challenges in the area of plantation crop biotechnology. The students are not expected to be technically competent in the various areas discussed, but should be aware of the potential use of biotechnology in providing alternative, environment-friendly, cost-effective and sustainable solutions to various issues faced by plantation sector. The course will also introduce students to the use of plant biotechnology to genetically manipulated crop-plants and their potential applications focusing on the plantation crops. Among the topics discussed will be the use of genetic manipulation to improve plantation crops, to create value-added crop products, use of tissue culture in somatic breeding programmes and ethical issues associated with the application of plant biotechnology.