Tuberose (Agave amica (Medik.) Thiede & Govaerts) is a commercially significant ornamental bulbous crop, widely used by the floriculture and fragrance industries and known for its highly fragrant flowers. Propagation must be efficient to keep genetic consistency, floral quality and yield. Conventional bulb propagation is still the most cost-effective and commonly used approach for commercial growing. In vitro propagation also allows for the fastest multiplication rate and the generation of disease-free planting material. Recent advances in plant tissue culture have permitted quick acquisition of genetically uniform planting material by direct and indirect organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis. Micropropagation efficiency is affected by genotype, explant source, physiological condition, composition of culture media and balance of plant growth regulators. However, the main limitation for large-scale commercialisation despite great propagation efficiency is the absence of standardised and cost-effective techniques due to genotype-specific responses, high production costs and limited acclimation effectiveness. The review critically evaluates the conventional and in vitro propagation approaches in tuberose, highlights current challenges and research gaps and discusses prospects involving molecular tools, bioreactor-based systems, synthetic seed technology and precision propagation strategies for sustainable large-scale production.
