TISSUE CULTURE UNIT
The Tissue Culture facility of the Ministry is located at the Union Agricultural Station. It
is one of four technical units of the Research Division. In 1991, an Organisation of American States (OAS) funded Biotechnology and Food Project was implemented in St. Lucia. The Research and Development
Division was responsible for coordinating the project. As a result of the project, a new unit, the Plant Tissue Culture Unit was formed.
The main objective of the Tissue Culture Unit is to strengthen the propagation capability of
the Ministry of Agriculture and the wider Agricultural Sector through micro-propagation and germplasm maintenance of selected plant species.
The major activities of the Tissue Culture Unit are the production of diseses-free plant
material via micro-propagation techniques and germplasm conservation of selected species. These activities include investigative research, in vitro plantlet production, support to the Crop Protection Unit (plant quarantine services), the Propagation Unit, the Cut Flower and Ornamental Project and the Food Crop Project.
This unit became fully operational in 1994 and now produces several Ornamental and Food Crop
species including, Anthuriums, Ferns, Orchids (Oncidium, Dendrobium, Epidendrum, Phalarnopsis, Vanda), African Violets, Pineapple, Yams and Sweet Potato.
 The cut flower and ornamental project and the
Root and tuber crops project.
The unit also provides support to the Crop Protection Unit (plant quarantine services).
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