In vitro fertilization and embryo rescue

Embryo rescue and culture is a technique that has found wide acceptance and utilization. Many interspecific and intergenetic hybrid plants have been produced by culturing immature embryos that normally do not survive to maturity in situ. Embryo culture techniques also are used to rescue embryos from early maturing fruit varieties, to hasten maturation in some species and to overcome dormancy requirements in others. In ovulo embryo culture is a newly-developing area. In some incidences embryos can develop from the zygote stage to maturity when the ovule is cultured. This technique has been particularly useful in making interspecific hybrids of Gossypium. In vitro fertilization techniques are beginning to receive attention. A few interspecific and intergeneric hybrids have been made by first accomplishing fertilization in vitro, then culturing the ovules to maturity. Self-incompatibility in some species can be circumvented with these techniques. The potential of in vitro fertilization and ovule culture is promising and in some situations may be a viable alternative to parasexual hybridization and somatic embryogenesis.