vietnam biotech 26aug02
vna
DA LAT BECOMES BIO-TECHNOLOGY
CENTER
Lam Dong, Aug. 25 (VNA) -- Da Lat, in the central highlands
province of Lam Dong, has developed into a city of bio-technology with the rapid
development of tissue culture laboratories which supply strains to flower, fruit
tree, and vegetable growers nationwide.
Da Lat became the first area in the country to use tissue culture
techniques with the building of the first lab by the National Centre for Natural
Science and Technology in 1976, and the second by the Da Lat Nuclear Research
Institute in 1978. Since then, farmers in Da Lat have become familiar with
strains produced by tissue culture techniques.
There are 20 tissue culture labs in Da Lat, two thirds of which are
owned by private companies. State-owned labs focus on hybridising new strains,
and creating quick processes for propagation, as well as collection and
preservation of valuable genes. Meanwhile private labs are strong in applying
tissue culture techniques in producing various kinds of cultivars.
A large lab can supply hundreds of thousands of plant strains a
month for farmers not only in Da Lat and Ho Chi Minh City, but also for export
to the Republic of Korea and New Zealand.
Da Lat's tissue culture labs have focused their research on the
propagation of tea varieties to raise the quality of for-export tea. They have
also studied new high-yield strains of potato, flower, strawbery and artichoke
for growing in areas of various climatic and geographic conditions.
Acting Director of Lam Dong province's Science, Technology and
Environment Service, Mr. Truong Tro, said that propagation by tissue culture
techniques has created diversified plant strains. However, he said, such labs in
Da Lat should cooperate with each other to better conduct projects in the field
and to provide products for both domestic and foreign markets.
Southeast Asian and Pacific countries have established a tissue
culture association with 200 members, with Dr. Nguyen Van Uyen of Viet Nam as
president. Prof. Uyen said that Da Lat's tissue culture establishments are able
to become a branch of the association.--Enditem