Protoplast Fusion and Somatic Hybridization

Protoplast fusion or somatic hybridization is one of the most important uses of protoplast culture. 
This is particularly significant for hybridization between species or genera, which can not be made to cross by conventional method of sexual hybridization. 

Although somatic hybridization was successfully achieved first in animals and only later in plats, its significance has been realized fully in plants because the hybrid cells can be induced to regenerate into whole plants.