Role of Biotechnology in tissue culture techniques for crop improvement and conservation

Plant tissue culture has changed from a basic botanical method to an advanced biotechnological platform that supports the new “Second Green Revolution.” This review looks closely at how biotechnology improves in vitro culture systems for crop enhancement and germplasm conservation. Today’s agriculture faces many challenges. These include climate change, shrinking arable land, water shortages, and rising global food demand, which often make traditional breeding methods limited in both time and biology. The use of modern biotechnological tools, like CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, doubled haploid (DH) technology, and molecular marker-assisted selection, has turned plant tissue culture from a technique focused on propagation into a precise genetic engineering system. These advancements allow for quick clonal multiplication of top genotypes, production of disease-free planting material, and creation of biofortified and climate-resilient crop varieties. At the same time, this review emphasizes the growing importance of plant tissue culture in plant conservation, particularly through cryopreservation methods like droplet-vitrification. These methods serve as long-term solutions for preserving hard-to-store and endangered genetic resources. A thorough look at the current literature shows a continuing gap between lab-based regeneration models and performance in the field. There are also conflicting reports about the origins and effects of somaclonal variation. The review discusses possible biological and technical reasons for these inconsistencies. It concludes that while biotechnology has transformed the impact of plant tissue culture, future advancements will rely on integrating Artificial Intelligence to improve inefficiencies linked to genotype and enhance overall effectiveness, thus supporting sustainable agriculture and global food security.