Q. How can we ensure that the plants produced from tissue culture are free from viruses and other pathogens?
Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India to ensure quality (genetically true to type/ uniform) and distribution of disease free tissue culture plants National Certification System for Tissue Culture Raised Plants has been established. Under this system tissue culture plants are tested for viruses as well as quality at different Test Laboratories accredited by the system. The plants that are free from viruses and good quality get a Certificate of Quality and Certification Label. This system also recognizes the Tissue Culture Production Unit based on guidelines for infrastructure, expertise, and technical management and package & practices for production. Hence, procuring certified tissue culture plants from recognized tissue culture production unit ensures quality as well as free from virus and diseases.
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Q. Who will certify the tissue culture raised Plants?
DBT has established Accredited Test Laboratories (ATLs) for virus indexing and quality testing of tissue culture raised plants and issue a Certificate of Quality on behalf of Certification Agency i.e. DBT.
ATLs perform both test i.e. virus indexing and genetic fidelity testing
At present, there are 6 Test Laboratories where these test are carried out.
- National Research Centre for Banana, Trichi, Tamil Nadu.
- Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh.
- University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, Karnataka.
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Q.Who can get their planting material certified from Accredited Test Laboratories?
Only recognized tissue culture companies under NCS-TCP are eligible to get their planting material certified from Accredited Test Laboratories (ATLs).
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Q. Which are the Referral Centers under NCS-TCP?
Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India has identified Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi (for virus indexing) as Referral laboratories to update the ATLs with respect to recent testing protocols. Designating responsibility of referral centre for genetic fidelity testing is being explored. These referral centers also provide trainings to ATLs from time to time on the updated testing protocols.
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Q. How the NCS-TCP is dynamic and continuous evolving?
NCS-TCP is very dynamic system which is continuous evolving in the light of experience gained during the course of its implementation.
Apex Committee, Project Monitoring and Evaluation Committee (PMEC) and Accreditation Panel are the committees, which comprise of a pool of experts in the area for guiding and monitoring the progress of NCS-TCP. Guidelines are revised from time to time. Crop specific standards for tissue culture plants have been developed for many economical plant species such as potato, banana, sugarcane, vanilla, apple, bamboo, citrus and black pepper. Standards for remaining plant species are under development. Referral Centers of NCS-TCP provide updated protocol and time to time training to Accredited Test Laboratories.
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