For researchers and students, George's books have become the standard works on in vitro plant propagation. For this, the third edition of the classic work, authors with specialist knowledge have been brought on board to cover the hugely expanded number of topics in the subject area. Scientific knowledge has expanded rapidly since the second edition and it would now be a daunting task for a single author to cover all aspects adequately. However, this edition still maintains the integration that was characteristic of the previous editions. The first volume of the new edition highlights the scientific background of in vitro propagation. The second volume covers the practice of micropropagation and describes its various applications.

Zusammenfassung
It is now more than twenty years since the first edition of this work appeared and nearly fifteen since the second. Whilst much of the information in those editions has stood the test of time, inevitably, because of the pace of research, a new edition is clearly timely. This is true, not only because many more species have been the subject of propagation studies, but because the background to the field with which this volume deals has changed almost out of all recognition. In particular, our knowledge of plant development, genetics physiology, biochemistry and molecular biology has expanded exponentially often through work on mutants of Arabidopsis and opened up many new avenues for the plant propagator to explore. Equally, the commercial significance of plant propagation has increased significantly. As an example, in the second edition there was a single chapter on plant growth regulators in this there are three, reflecting the fact that not only is there more information on those PGRs we recognised in 1993, but that several new ones are now known. Equally, fifteen years ago we knew little of the molecular basis of plant development e. g. flower and shoot development, in this edition it has merited a whole chapter, much of which relates to discoveries in the last decade. Because of these factors, it was felt that a different approach was required for this edition.

Inhalt
Plant Tissue Culture Procedure - Background.- Micropropagation: Uses and Methods.- The Components of Plant Tissue Culture Media I: Macro- and Micro-Nutrients.- The Components of Plant Tissue Culture Media II: Organic Additions, Osmotic and pH Effects, and Support Systems.- Plant Growth Regulators I: Introduction; Auxins, their Analogues and Inhibitors.- Plant Growth Regulators II: Cytokinins, their Analogues and Antagonists.- Plant Growth Regulators III : Gibberellins, Ethylene, Abscisic Acid, their Analogues and Inhibitors; Miscellaneous Compounds..- Developmental Biology.- Somatic Embryogenesis.- Adventitious Regeneration.- Stock Plant Physiological Factors Affecting Growth and Morphogenesis.- Effects of the Physical Environment.- The Anatomy and Morphology of Tissue Cultured Plants.