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Sugarcane (Saccharum Officinarum L) Tissue Culture In Ethiopia: Opportunities

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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC & TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH VOLUME 6, ISSUE 08, AUGUST 2017 ISSN 2277-8616

Sugarcane (Saccharum Officinarum L) Tissue

Culture In Ethiopia: Opportunities For Ethiopia’s
Sugar Industries
Temam Abrar Hamza, Alemayehu Letebo Alebjo

Abstract: Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L) is commercial cash and sweet industrial crop. Considering its importance in the agro-processing
industry and its economic contribution to the country’s , the Ethiopian government has planned an ambitious plan to expand the sugarcane cultivation
farmland and sugar processing factories in the country. Despite the significant commercial value of this crop, the main production constrain is the
availability of healthy quality quantity and safe planting material within short time. The planting materials obtained through conventional methods do not
meet the increasing demand for planting and they are poor quality and yielding. Nowadays, unlike the conventional propagation method,
micropropagation is the only realistic means of achieving rapid and large scale production of healthy quality planting materials in sugarcane and it is an
alternative approach for fast multiplication of a variety in its original form even if its procurement is costly. The use of best alternative in terms of cost, is
the key to make developing countries like Ethiopia beneficiary from micropropagation technology. In Ethiopia, a lot of sugarcane tissue culture protocols
were developed which help to minimize the current challenges of sugarcane production in the country. Currently sugarcane production in Ethiopia has
given due attention, it is also allied with its important potential for an environment-friendly bio-fuel production and generating huge electric power. This
review highlights the techniques of plant tissue culture and achievement of sugarcane tissue culture in Ethiopia. The production of sugarcane using
conventional propagation and micropropagation technology is delineated. Opportunities for Ethiopia’s Sugar Industry are also highlighted.

Keywords: Micropropagation, Sugar Industry, Tissue Culture, Sugarcane, Ethiopia

————————————————————

1. Introduction Considering this, Ethiopian government recently set

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L), also called ―noble
cane‖ due to the sweetness of its stalk juice, is a
domesticated tropical, perennial grass species. It is an
important cash and industrial crop in which in vitro
propagation are standardized and commercially viable.
Varieties of sugarcane are highly heterogeneous and
generally multiplied vegetatively by stem cutting. In tropical
countries nodal sections of sugarcane with 2 or 3 nodes are
commonly used as a planting material [1], [2]. It is also an
important crop widely cultivated for multiple purposes from
smallholder farmers up to large scale cultivator in all over
the world including Ethiopia [3]. Ethiopia`s sugar industry is
one of the major economic pillar of the country. The
Government of Ethiopia is currently enhancing the
production capacity of old and new sugar estates to
eliminate the between demand and supply of sugar
domestically and export sugar to generate foreign currency.
Considering this, new sugar processing factories were
established in different part of the country and upgrading
the old one. The country aimed to boost annual sugar
production from the current level of 2.25 to 4.1 million tons
together with generation of 2.3 million metric cube (M3) of
ethanol. The sugar factories are also expected to contribute
about 561 Mega watt (Mw) electric power through
cogeneration [4]. cogeneration of clean energy is the great
opportunity for Ethiopia`s sugar factories to diversify the line
of product which is indirectly maintained by adequate
supply of sugarcane planting material by using
micropropagation technology. Modern biotechnology holds
a great deal to enhance agricultural productivity in Ethiopia
[5].
____________________________
 Temam AH and Alemayehu LA: Department of
Biotechnology, College of Natural Sciences, Arba
Minch University: Email: temam2abrar2@gmail.com,
Arba Minch, Ethiopia
national biotechnology road map which narrates
agricultural, industrial, environmental and health
biotechnology; and agricultural biotechnology is prioritized
first as being national urgency [6]. These programme can
help to generate sustainable, innovative, market-driven
solutions to solve some of the country`s biggest challenges
especially in agricultural sectors as well as it will help to
build the capacity of the country to feed the rapidly growing
population without interference of international aids.
Nowadays, micropropagation technology is the only realistic
means of achieving rapid, large-scale production of disease
free quality planting material as seed canes of newly
developed varieties in order to speed up the breeding and
commercialization process in sugarcane for Ethiopian sugar
estates. In line of this plant regeneration through tissue
culture technique would be a viable alternative for
improving the quality and productivity in sugarcane.
Standardization of protocols for in vitro multiplication of
sugarcane through callus culture, meristem and shoot tip
culture have been reported by many authors from Ethiopia.
Micropropagation based seed cane production is conducive
to decrease spread of plant diseases like leaf scald, mosaic
virus, leaf gall and other diseases that spread through seed
cane. This is crucial step toward reducting cost of disease
control and to enhance the yield. In addition, tissue culture
derived seed cane is superior in sprouting, growth, cane
and sugar yield than their donor plants propagated by
conventional method [2], [7]. To satisfy the short term
planting material requirement, the Ethiopian Sugar
Corporation made an agreement with Tigray Biotechnology
Center (TBC) and Narus Biotechnology and Agro-Industry
PLC to had total of 170 million primary acclimatized
sugarcane planting materials of 14 different sugarcane
genotypes among which about 33.5 million plantlets were
delivered to different sugar estates of Ethiopia [8].

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2. TECHNIQUES OF PLANT TISSUE CULTURE
2.1. Micropropagation
Micropropagation is an in vitro vegetative propagation of
plants by tissue culture with the objective to produce large
numbers of progeny plants, genetically identical to the
parents. Usually it starts with the selection of explants (plant
tissues) from a healthy, vigorous mother plant [9]. Apical
meristems, buds (nodes), leaves, stems and roots are parts
of mother plant which can be used as sources of explant.
The whole process can be summarized in to the following
steps in Figure 1.
Step I: Preparation of parent/donor plant
Healthy leaves, stems, or other suitable plant parts are
selected and cut from the mother plant. The size of explant
Figure 1. Flow chart summarizing techniques of sugarcane tissue culture.
Frequently used disinfectants are sodium hypochlorite
containing tween-20 [13], [14], [15], ethanol [16] and
mercuric chloride (HgCl2) [12], [17], [18]. After application of
these disinfectants, excess chemical from the surface of
explant is washed off using sterile water. Then, the surface
sterilized explant is implanted into a suitable nutrient
medium. The nutrient media composition should have the
correct type of growth hormones in appropriate
concentrations for organogenesis or somatic
embryogenesis. Finally the cultures are transfer to the
growth chamber with suitable conditions according to the
method of propagation.
Step III: Multiplication step
At this step, the number of propagules is multiplied by
repeated subculture until the desired number of plants is
attained. The objective of this step is to increase the
number of propagules. Direct or indirect organogenesis or
somatic embryogenesis is occur at this step depending on
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and formulation of the culture medium is the two important
determinant of in vitro regeneration efficiency. The best size
of explant is 3-2cm which finally trimmed to appropriate size
(1cm) for inoculation to the initiation medium [10].
Step II: Initiation step
In this step dust particles are removed from the tissue by
washing with water and an explant is surface sterilized and
transferred into nutrient medium. Application of both
bactericide and fungicide products is recommended to
enhance the probability of success [11]. The selection of
products mainly based on the type of explant to be cultured.
The surface sterilization of explant is undertaken by
applying different chemical solutions to remove
contaminants [12].
the explant and plant species used. For instance, if indirect
organogenesis is followed, callus is initiated and transferred
to a medium having the hormone combination favoring
shoot formation. Nodes and/or shoots are excised from this
culture and transferred to a fresh media to generate more
shoots. Then, these shoots are transferred to another
medium, which favors the root initiation [19].
Step IV: Rooting step
The rooting stage may need to change media, with
appropriate type, concentration and composition of growth
regulator to induce rooting and development of strong root
growth [15]. However, it may also occur simultaneously in
the same culture medium used for explants culture.
Step V: Transplantation and acclimatization step
Hardening is a process by which the in vitro generated
plants are acclimatized to the greenhouse conditions to
increase the strength and growth performance [19]. The in
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vitro plants are hardened at this step. The plantlets that conditions. Then, finally they can be transferred to the field
develop roots can be transferred to special pots with were able to develop into morphologically normal, fertile
sterilized sand and gradually hardened under greenhouse plants [10].

Table 1. Ethiopia's Sugar Factories and their estimated production capacity [20]

Distance Ethanol
Estimated sugar Cogeneration of ECNG*
Sugar Factories Status Region from Capital production
Production (Ton) Electricity(Mw) (Mw)
City capacity (M3)

Arjo-Dedesa UDC Oromia 540km 55,200 n.d n.d n.d

Kuraz (1-5 factories) UDC SNNPR 760km 1,946,000 130,810 415 275

Tendaho phase two UDC Afar 600km 214,000 - - -

Walkaiyt UDC Amhara 1200km 484,400 41,654 n.d n.d

Belles (1-3 factories) UDC Amhara 576km 484,000 20,827 n.d n.d

Kessem expansion UDC Afar 245km 260,000 30,000 26 15

Sub Total 3,273,400 223,291 441 290

Fincha Sugar factory UDP Oromia 350km 110,000 20,000 31 10

Methara Sugar factory UDP Oromia 200km 136,692 12,500 9 0

Wonji Sugar factory UDP Oromia 110km 270,000 12,800 20 11

Tendaho Sugar factory UDP Afar 670 km 300,000 31,000 60 38

Sub Total 816,692 76,300 120 59

Total sum 4,090,092 2,299,591 561 349

(Key: UDC- Under Construction; UDP- Under Production; SNNPR- South Nation Nationalities of People Region; n.d- Not
Defined; ECNG*-Electricity Contribution to Nation`s Grid).

3. CURRENT STATUS OF ETHIOPIA'S SUGAR
INDUSTRY
Ethiopia`s sugar industry has played great role in the socio-
economic development of the country in many ways.
Considering this, government of Ethiopia has recently made
extensive investments to boost the country’s capacity to
produce sugar from sugarcane. With these heavy
investments, the country hopes to become one of Africa's
leading sugar exporters in the near future. In line of this, the
government has undertaking construction of new sugar
processing factories, the revitalization of older factories,
and the expansion of land under sugar cultivation to
increased levels of sugar production for the foreseeable
future [20]. Production of sugar in Ethiopia will continue to
grow each year as processing capacity expands with new
and revitalized processing operations coming online. At
present there are additional sugar production are
developing by the government. Tana beles sugar project is
developing in production capacity 484,000 tons, Kuraz
sugar (1-5 factories) project is developing in production
capacity of 1,946,000 tons, Wolkayit sugar project is
developing in production capacity of 484,400 tons. See
table 1 for list of Ethiopia`s sugar factories under
construction and under production with their estimated
production. When these and the existing facilities are up
and running, the ESC is predicting that the country will
become one of the ten largest sugar producers in the world
by 2023, with production estimated 4.1 million metric tons.
For instance, when Tendaho Sugar Factory running in full
capacity, it become the country’s single largest sugar
processor and the biggest in East Africa. Refer to figure 2
for the location of the sugar factories around the country.

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Table 2. Potential Irrigation Sites Identified For Sugarcane Development in Ethiopia [21]

Net Suitable
Basin Site No Site Water Source Gross area
area
1 Angelele Balhamo Awash 11,000 8,600
Awash 2 Maro Gala Awash 14,700 6,600
3 Kasem Kebena Kasem 17,600 13,600
4 Arjo Dedesa Dedesa 139,000 16,800
5 Anger Valley Anger 65,500 30,200
Blue Nile 6 Upper Beles Beles 65,000 55,300
7 Upper Dinder Dinder 80,000 58,300
8 Rahad Rahad 100,000
9 Angereb Angereb 45,600 38,800
Tekeze
10 Tekeze Setit 68,550 50,550
Omo Gibe 11 Lower Omo Omo 58,000 29,000
12 Abob/Ubala Gilo 46,900 39,400
Baro
13 Itang Baro 21,000 Not Investigated
Nile 14 Dabus Dabus 5,100 Not Investigated
Omo 15 Gojeb Gojeb 12,000 Not Investigated

In Ethiopia, the development of the sugarcane plantation
was started on 5000 hectares in the upper reaches of the
Awash basin, 100km. Southeast of Addis Ababa. Large
areas of suitable low lands, lake and rivers, soil type and
conducive climate are proven as natural gift of Ethiopia for
sugarcane plantation and productivity. Various feasibility
studies of sugar projects conducted by the Ethiopian Sugar
Industry Support Center Share Company have indicated
that many potential sites at the main river basins are
suitable for sugarcane cultivation (see table 2). In the past
years, white sugar being consumed in the country is
imported from neighboring countries such as Djibouti, Saudi
Arabia, Somalia & India in quantities ranging between
10,000 to 163,000. Currently, the government of Ethiopia
anticipates that by carrying out huge sugar development
projects in the country to; eliminate the gap between
demand and supply of sugar domestically; create wide job
opportunity; ensure the benefits of communities living
around the sugar development projects and export sugar
and thereby get foreign currency.

Figure 2. Location of Ethiopia`s Sugar Factories.

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4. PRODUCTION OF SUGARCANE IN focusing on biomass production to enable better explore

ETHIOPIA ethanol or energy production. To resolve this, it is essential
to quickly address the issues related to sugarcane
biometrics (such as stalk number, diameter and height) and
4.1. Conventional Vegetative Propagation Methods
processing (sucrose content, reducing sugars, fiber
Sugarcane is a vegetatively propagated crop, which tends
content). Surely, new germplasm resources should be
to accumulate diseases very quickly during the course of
explored by sugarcane biotechnology programs [3]. The
prolonged cultivation. Commercially, it is propagated from
implementation of a tissue culture program, aiming at
stem cutting with each cutting or set having two or three
broadening the genetic base of sugarcane cultivars for
buds [1]. After the development of clone/variety, major
sugar content and biomass production, will definitively bring
bottleneck in spreading of clone or variety is slow
great contributions for increases on yield, ensuring a more
propagation rate through conventional propagation method,
sustainable cultivation of sugarcane [25]. The production of
which takes years [2], [22]. Sugarcane breeding programs
quality seed through in vitro propagation technique is well
play an essential role for the sugar industry, as they are
recognized now in all over the world. The continuous high
responsible for the development of cultivars, which consists
production of sugar per unit area depends primarily on
of the major technological input for sugar production. The
sustained supply of enough quantity of good quality seed
basis of the germplasm for sugarcane breeding involves
cane, which has to be genetically pure, free from diseases,
commercial varieties and Saccharum related species.
pests and with improved sugar and biomass content. This
Segregating seeds are then distributed to diverse locations
can be achieved by the combined application of tissue
for field selection, which may occur twice a year. The best
culture techniques with genetic engineering. Since the
clones are identified, multiplied and tested in farms. The
plants are free from diseases, so the original vigour of the
release of a new variety may take 7-8 years, after being
newly bred variety is maintained where as vegetatively
tested for genetic stability, performance, and agronomic
propagated sugarcane normally requires 7-8 years for large
traits [1], [23]. Hybridization is the main procedure used for
scale distribution of newly developed variety. However, the
sugarcane to develop new genetic recombination events to
only alternative approach to speed up the rate of seed
further perform selection of superior genotypes, focusing on
multiplication of a newly released sugarcane varieties in its
sugar, ethanol or biomass production. Conventional
original form is through the application of plant tissue
sugarcane breeding involves parental selection,
culture technology [2]. Large scale production of sugarcane
hybridization and selection of superior genotypes. In
is challenged by different kinds of plant diseases like red
addition during variety development, all factors such as
rot, leaf scald, ratoon stunting, grassy shoot and mosaic
biotic and abiotic stresses that may affect production have
virus [26]. Micropropagation is more valuable in reviving the
to be considered. Sugarcane seed (sett) is a cane cuttings
well adapted promising local cultivars facing gradual
with one, two or three buds, which are used as seed. In
deterioration of yield and refining them from infections
Ethiopia, sugarcane stem is used for production of cane
which is due to accumulation of pathogens during
seed which is composed of a series of nodes and
prolonged conventional vegetative propagation. The
internodes. During the initial stages of germination, root
meristematic tissue remains free from viral diseases and
primordia around the nodes of the sett produce a flush of
other related plant disease so as to be the meristem culture
roots. These roots are not connected to the primary shoot
is the best and only tissue culture method to remove
but are important in maintaining the moisture in the sett.
disease like sugarcane mosaic virus and to produce
The primary shoot is made up of a number of closely
disease free sugarcane plantlets. In addition the cells of the
spaced internodes and nodes below ground. Each node
meristem are genetically highly stable and the plants
develops new bed and root primordia that are the basis of
produced from them are generally identical to the donor
stool establishment. These root primordia germinate to
plants [2]. Nowadays, plant tissue culture technology is
produce the shoot roots that support further plant growth
commonly adopted for commercial sugarcane seed
and the shoot is independent of the original sett [1]. While
production in many countries across the globe. Considering
the shoot roots are developing some of the new bud below
the above mentioned advantages, micropropagation play
the ground also germinate to produce secondary shoots
great role in the production of seed cane for sustainable
and these in turn develop their own root system and give
sugarcane production to feed sugar factories. In our
rise to tertiary shoots. For raising a healthy sugarcane crop,
country, many researchers (especially from sugar factories
setts should be harvested from 7 to 10 months old crop
staffs) have been developed a protocol for
which is totally free of diseases and pests. In addition canes
micropropagation of elite sugarcane genotypes and this will
used to obtain seed setts must be free from rooting at the
help to standardize sugarcane tissue culture protocols in
nodes, splits on the internodes and other damages. The
the country and to minimize the current challenges of
appropriate spacing of 10 cm between setts ensures
sugarcane micropropagation in country [27], [286].
economy of planting material without sacrificing both cane
and sugar yields [2], [24].
5. SUGARCANE TISSUE CULTURE
4.2. In vitro propagation Methods (Tissue Culture) ACHIEVEMENTS AND LIMITATIONS IN
Tissue culture, unlike conventional vegetative propagation, ETHIOPIA
it accelerates the rate of multiplication process several fold Rapid multiplication of disease free planting material
and produces large quantities of planting material within through adoption of micropropagation technology has been
shortest possible time. Traditionally, the main focus on crucial step towards quality seed production in sugarcane.
sugarcane breeding had been on sugar yield. However, Asia-Pacific region like India and Philippines have already
recently, a new sugarcane genotype concept is emerging, applied this technology for commercial seed production and
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they gain benefits through rapid multiplication and
distribution of elite sugarcane varieties and uplifted their
sugar production potential. This is considerable
experiences to countries like Ethiopia that are in the
process of adopting tissue culture technology for their seed
cane production programs and it is good opportunity for the
alarming expansion program of sugar factories in the
country. In Ethiopia, sugarcane tissue culture has been
extensively worked out to understand somaclonal variation,
somatic embryogenesis, optimization, germplasm
preservation and clonal propagation. Parameters like effect
and type of medium, concentration of plant growth
regulators viz. 6-Benzyl Aminopurine, Naphthalene Acetic
Acid, Benzyl Adenine, Kinetin, Indol Acetic Acid, Giberrelic
Acid and other hormones, in the development of callus,
somatic embryos, suspension culture and shoot
regeneration has been well standardized (table 3) [28], [29,
[30]. In this regard, remarkable contributions have been
made by Ethiopian researchers from sugar factories and
some national universities like Addis Abeba and Jimma
university for the development of sugarcane tissue culture
protocols. The most challenging issues of Ethiopian Sugar
Industry for attaining the intended production plans is lack
of steady supply system of adequate quantity and disease
free sugarcane planting materials using the conventional
propagation method. This can be resolved by
micropropagation of sugarcane through shoot tip or
meristem culture, which ensures rapid multiplication of true
to type and disease free planting materials of sugarcane
within a shortest possible time particularly for Ethiopian
Sugar Estates [11]. In the multitude challenges of
sugarcane plantation establishment of Tendaho sugar
development project, use of tissue cultured sugarcane
planting material is a realistic and best alternative than the
conventional seed source [23]. Regardless of their cost,
cane yield and rate of propagation obtained from tissue
culture seed sources of B52-298 and NCO-334 was inferior
to the conventional seed sources [2]. In this regard search
of cost effective technologies in sugarcane
micropropagation is critical steps to make it more feasible
for Ethiopia sugar estates in relation to sugar development
projects.

Table 3. Progress of sugarcane tissue culture protocols development in Ethiopian

Centres Name Explant Used Main Purpose References

ESC Shoots Cost effective propagation method [2]

ESC Shoot tip Micropropagation and optimization [7]

HARC Shoot tip Micropropagation, Virus cleaning [11]

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L)

ESC Leaf explants Micropropagation and effect of genotype on in vitro propagation [25]

ESC Shoots Micropropagation and optimization [27]

ESC Shoot Tip Micropropagation and optimization [28]

JUPTCL Shoot tips Micropropagation and optimization [29]

ESC Microshoots Micropropagation and optimization [30]

ESC Shoots Micropropagation and optimization [31]

ESC Shoot Tips Micropropagation and optimization [32]

ESC Shoots Micropropagation and optimization [35]

ESC Shoot tips Micropropagation and optimization [36]

ESC Shoot Tip Micropropagation and Optimization [37]

(Key:- HARC = Holetta Agricultural Research Center, JUPTCL = Jimma University Plant Tissue Culture Laboratory, ESC =
Ethiopia Sugar Corporation).

The conventional propagation of sugarcane planting
material has diverse limitations while procurement of large
quantity micropropagated sugarcane planting materials is
costly. The best alternative approach to down the cost of
micropropagation technology are: (i) utilization of locally
available and economically reasonable resources instead of
the expensive ones [29] (ii) direct regeneration of complete
plantlets on the same medium [35], [38] (iii) in vivo
proliferation system [36] (iv) substituting in vitro rooting by
ex vitro rooting in conventional micropropagation [34]; (v)
develop protocol provides rapid shoot multiplication
technique [27] and (vi) avoiding non standard secondary
acclimatization phase [2]. This also subsequently to make

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developing countries like Ethiopia beneficiary from this
technology.
6. OPPORTUNITIES FOR ETHIOPIA'S SUGAR
INDUSTRY
The demand for sugar has increased significantly in the
past years particularly in developing countries. The per
capita consumption in developed countries (42
kg/person/year) is not likely to increase further whereas in
the developing countries is expected to increase,
particularly the Afro-Asian countries. For instance, in
Ethiopia annual consumption of sugar at individual lever
has been increased from 3.6 to 10kg. While supply is 7kg
whereas the rest is imported to fill the gap between demand
and supply. Underdeveloped countries like Ethiopia need to
increase their sugar production to meet the domestic
requirements of their increasing population and economic
growth of the nation [32]. In fact, Ethiopia has huge
production potentials and opportunities. To utilize these
opportunities and overcome current national sugar
shortage, the government of Ethiopia establish huge sugar
development project [4]. Researchers from Ethiopia have
been tried to improve sugarcane conventionally. However,
these approaches only could not brought the desired
improvement unless they are supported by modern
biotechnological tools like plant tissue culture. Combination
of these two approaches will satisfy two apparently needs
of Ethiopia sugar estates; to become more productive and
at the same time more sustainable [39]. In Ethiopia, many
biotechnology projects got a big boost after the government
passed the national biotechnology roadmap in 2007.
Conventional biotechnology procedures such as tissue
culture have widely been used for production of planting
materials for banana, sugarcane, potato, strawberry,
cassava, and flowers in Ethiopia [5], [39]. Sugarcane tissue
culture is the powerful tools for commercialization and
supply of disease free seed cane which is the lifeline in the
productivity and profitability of sugarcane as well as for the
sustainability of sugar production in Ethiopia. Commercial
application of in vitro technology in the Ethiopia`s sugar
industry is relatively in good progress. In this regard, In
2011, Tigray Biotechnology Center (TBC) has entered
agreement with Ethiopia’s Sugar Corporation to develop an
industrial way of producing sugarcane plantlets through
micropropagation. As per the annual delivery demand of the
Ethiopian Sugar Corporation, TBC has being supplied the
depicted sugarcane plantlets to different sites of sugar
factories. This implies the potential of plant tissue culture for
provision of commodity for fast growing agro-processing
industries and it will also have a great contributions to
developing economies of the country as well as improving
the quality of life in the country. Nowadays, except Omo
Kuraz sugar development project, all the eight Ethiopian
sugar estates are using micropropagated sugarcane
plantlets since 2012. Among the nine sugar estates,
Tendaho and Tana Beles sugar development project are
the leading ones that used tissue culture raised clean
sugarcane planting materials over a large plantation
area[32], [36]. The use of clean and healthy planting
material to cover large area of land within the shortest
possible time to supply adequate seed cane through
sugarcane tissue culture methods is the greatest
opportunities for sugar processing factories found in
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Ethiopia. Currently, plant tissue culture technology plays a
leading role in rapid multiplication of disease-free and
quality planting material of sugarcane in Ethiopia [11].
Accordingly, Ethiopian Sugar Corporation has plan to
establish its own tissue culture laboratory at Tendaho,
Metahara, Kuraz and Fincha sugar factories to produce
about 55 million disease free plantlets per year [20]. This
will offer enhancing the productivity and mitigating
production constraints (biotic and abiotic) of sugar cane in
the country. Nowadays, there is good progress in the
application of plant tissue culture in Ethiopia compared to
the rest of modern biotechnological tools The combined
demand for bioethanol in Ethiopia for industrial uses and
blending with petrol across the country will become realistic
in the near future. Cogeneration of clean energy like
electricity and bio-fuel (bioethanol) has significant
contribution to uplift country`s economy using sugarcane
bagasse as renewable feedstock, without diverting the cane
juice for the purpose [20]. When ten Ethiopia`s sugar
factories being active in production, the country availability
of bagasse is to be about multi million tonnes annually. This
huge biomass can be an important feed stock for the
production of bioethanol, electricity and paper. This all are
considered as an opportunity for the sugar industry in
Ethiopia to diversify the line of product for additional
revenue generation and boosting national economy.
7. CONCULSIONS
Plant tissue culture technology is creating massive volume
of information that is transforming the world’s chemical,
pharmaceutical and agricultural establishment. Its
interventions presents an opportunity for Ethiopia`s sugar
estates by providing more productive and sustainable
sugarcane planting materials. It is a proactive approach for
alleviating problems of sugarcane production. This will
greatly resuscitate and expand the sugar industry in
developing countries like Ethiopia. Nowadays, unlike the
traditional propagation method, tissue culture technology is
the only practical means of achieving rapid and large scale
production of disease free quality planting materials in
sugarcane genotype in its original form. High sugar and
sugarcane production capacity have great role in enhancing
the economic prosperity of the nation and to improve the
quality of life in the country. The sustainability is maintained
by supplying adequate quantity and disease free sugarcane
planting material within short time via micropropagation
technology.
Acknowledgment
The author wish to thank Almaz for her financial support for
publication of this review paper.
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