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Mass propagation of conifer trees in liquid cultures–progress towards commercialization

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Abstract

At Weyerhaeuser Company, somatic embryo production in liquid medium and manufactured seed delivery has been developed to reduce labor costs and increase efficiency of mass clonal propagation. We have scaled-up embryonal suspensor masses (ESM) of Douglas-fir in 1-l liquid medium flasks. Over 10,000 somatic embryos have been produced from a single flask. We have cryostored ESM of over 700 genotypes in liquid nitrogen. Somatic embryos of Douglas-fir have also been produced from liquid medium in a bioreactor. Different types of bioreactors are required for embryo multiplication and for cotyledonary embryo development. Over 250,000 Douglas-fir somatic seedlings from a large number of genotypes have been produced for clonal field tests.

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Abbreviations

ABA:

abscisic acid

ESM:

embryonal suspensor mass

GA:

gibberellic acid

PEG:

polyethylene glycol

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Correspondence to Roger Timmis.

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Gupta, P.K., Timmis, R. Mass propagation of conifer trees in liquid cultures–progress towards commercialization. Plant Cell Tiss Organ Cult 81, 339–346 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11240-004-6654-1

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