Biotechnological applications of tissue culture to forest tree improvement.
Plant tissue culture techniques are of tremendous potential value to forest tree improvement. The technology is envisaged as playing a complementary role to traditional methods through exploiting spontaneous or induced genetic and epigenetic variability in culture, by use of haploidy and by the use of protoplasts. Haploids and protoplasts will aid in shortening breeding cycles and allow for unconventional crosses respectively. Clonal propagation is an integral part of any tree improvement program, and in addition can play an independent role in reforestation, clonal orchard establishment and in energy foresting. The goals, problems and limitations of these applications of tissue culture technology to forest tree improvement are indicated and assessed.
Thorpe
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Plant Physiology Research Group, Department of Biology, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.