Book excerpt: In Vitro Culture of Higher Plants presents an up-to-date and wide- ranging account of the techniques and applications, and has primarily been written in response to practical problems. Special attention has been paid to the educational aspects. Typical methodological aspects are given in the first part: laboratory set-up, composition and preparation of media, sterilization of media and plant material, isolation and (sub)culture, mechanization, the influence of plant and environmental factors on growth and development, the transfer from test-tube to soil, aids to study. The question of why in vitro culture is practised is covered in the second part: embryo culture, germination of orchid seeds, mericloning of orchids, production of disease-free plants, vegetative propagation, somaclonal variation, test-tube fertilization, haploids, genetic manipulation, other applications in phytopathology and plant breeding, secondary metabolites.