Objective
Background :
Great gains in productivity and quality have been made by tree breeding and improvement programmes over the last 40 years. However, the amount of such genetically improved material growing in commercial forests is quite small. One reason for this is the long time required to propagate enough of this material to put it into commercial production.
The objective is : to develop the process of somatic embryogenesis into a practical method to multiply genetically improved spruce for use in commercial forestry in Europe. This method has a better potential for cheep mass propagation that the method currently available (seeds, macropropagation, micropropagation).
Short description of the project :
The project concerns the production of "artificial seed" from tissues not originally ment to result in embryos ("somatic embryogenesis") of Norway and Sitka spruce as a means to propagate superior plant reproductive material.
It includes 3 integrated steps :
(1) solve technically important points such as fluidity, composition and pH of nutrient
media, ambient conditions;
(2) look for costs efficient simplification of propagation methods;
(3) establish tests in which the conformity of plantings obtained with this technology
will be compared with seedlings or cuttings of the same genotypes. For this last
step, the genetic stability will be assessed.
Fields of science
Topic(s)
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
CSC - Cost-sharing contractsCoordinator
WICKLOW
Ireland