Description: 1. Biotechnology and the Coconut Industry.- Current status of the coconut industry.- The role of international cooperation in the development of biotechnology in coconut.- 2. Molecular Markers, Coconut Diversity and Genetic Improvement.- The application of molecular markers to coconut genetic improvement.- Genetic improvement of coconut palms.- Use of molecular markers and morpho-agronomical characters in the management of plant germplasm.- Use of RFLP markers to study the diversity of the coconut palm.- RAPD markers in the genetic diversity study of coconut.- Analysis of coconut germplasm biodiversity by DNA marker technologies and construction of a genetic linkage map.- The use of polymorphic microsatellites for assessing genetic diversity in coconut.- Lethal yellowing resistance in coconut germplasm from Mxico.- Prospects for marker assisted breeding of lethal yellowing-resistant coconuts.- 3. Molecular Detection and Diagnosis of Coconut Diseases.- Conventional and molecular approaches for detection and diagnosis of plant diseases: application to coconut.- Detection and diagnosis of lethal yellowing.- Detection and diagnosis of African lethal yellowing-like diseases.- Detection and diagnosis of coconut cadang-cadang.- Detection of coconut cadang-cadang viroid-like sequences.- Detection and diagnosis of coconut foliar decay disease.- The use of biotechnology for the safe movement of coconut germplasm.- 4. In Vitro Propagation of Coconut.- Application of in vitro techniques to the conservation and propagation of coconut palms.- Coconut embryo culture.- Cryopreservation of coconut germplasm.- Somatic embryogenesis in coconut from immature inflorescence expiants.- Somatic embryogenesis and regeneration in coconut from plumular expiants.- Control of environmentalconditions and the use of polyamines can optimise the conditions for the initiation and proliferation of coconut somatic embryos.- The use of osmotically active agents and abscisic acid can optimise the maturation of coconut somatic embryos.- The zygotic embryo: a model for physiological studies in coconut.- Effect of medium sucrose on the photosynthetic capacity of coconut vitroplants formed from zygotic embryos.- The application of markers for embryogenesis and organogenesis in coconut propagation.- Recent progress on coconut micropropagation through a joined effort involving different countries.- Scaling-up micropropagation of palms: the example of oil palm.- Potential use of clonal propagation in coconut improvement programs.- Does clonal coconut material have a potential use in any agricultural system?.- Concluding Remarks.

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