TISSUE CULTURE TECHNIQUES FOR TREE SPECIES

Introduction

Due to rapid deforestation and depletion of genetic stocks, concerted efforts must be made to evolve new methods for mass propagation and production of short duration trees with a rapid turnover of biomass and induction of genetic variability for the production of novel fruit and forest trees which are high yielding, resistant to pest and disease associated with increased photosynthetic efficiency. This required genetic manipulation to evolve vigorous and fast growing trees with a short reproductive cycle which can be mass propagated. It is envisaged that the technology of tissue culture is competent to meet this challenge. Tissue culture techniques have already revolutionized the mass scale propagation of many horticultural crops and several commercial laboratories have been set up in many parts of world for mass production of elite, cloned plant material. However, its exploitation for forest tree species has started only recently. The following are some of the areas of tissue culture which are of prime interest in forestry. They have the biotechnological potential not only from the basic fundamental research point of view, but also for direct application for the immediate improvement of trees and increased biomass production.