The problems of feeding a rapidly expanding world population with decreasing arable land resources are placing increasing demands on our genetic resources and the plant breeders who exploit them. Innovative or novel genetic approaches may provide solutions to some of the problems of genetic analysis and the development of additional genetic variability in plants. The present status of techniques such as wide crossing, DNA feeding, tissue, cell and protoplast culture and somatic cell hybridisation is discussed. Plant tissue culture procedures may enable us to expand the gene pools for disease and pest resistance, greater tolerance to environmental stress, increased quality or possibly to develop new plant types. However, the utility of innovative procedures will require a rigorous evaluation of their potential and limitations, and the ability to produce material which can be readily introgressed into established plant breeding systems.
