Current Advances in Coconut Biotechnology

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The coconut palm occupies a significant place in the world economy as an important subsistence and cash crop in all the areas where it is cultivated. Unfortunately, yields are generally well below potential, despite recent developments with improved planting stock and agronomic practices. Since the 1950s, both aspects have received considerable attention, but the focus is shifting to investigate how the use of recently developed biotechnological techniques can benefit the coconut industry. These papers on coconut biotechnology were presented at a symposium on this subject held in Mexico in December 1997. They describe research in three important areas of this field: molecular markers, diversity and genetic improvement; molecular detection and diagnosis of diseases; and in vitro propagation. They also deal with the impact of biotechnology on the coconut industry, weighing the advantages and pointing out areas where work should be directed to stimulate further research.