More than 850 embryonic cell lines from 14 full-sib families of the Landes population of Pinus pinaster cryopreserved. Somatic embryo plants from those families established in greenhouses or nurseries.
For the first time, a large number of embryogenic cell lines from elite families of the Landes population of P. pinaster have been initiated, stabilized and cryopreserved for long-term conservation. Somatic embryo plants from over one hundred genotypes have been regenerated and successfully transferred to nurseries. The procedures were strikingly distinct from those used for P. sylvestris. Growth characterization showed that the somatic embryo plants function properly, like ordinary plants. Their production of well performing cuttings without any defect like plagiotropy opens the way to a huge decrease in the cost of plant production through somatic embryogenesis.
The material is of very high genetic value (being full sibs from parents selected from the breeding population, i.e. we have precise and full knowledge of genetic origin) and particularly adapted to the Northern part of the distribution range of P. pinaster. (Only such frost resistant material is authorized for commercial deployment in France, Iberic provenances being prohibited due to frost sensitivity having caused extensive damage to the forest in the past.) It will speed up the breeding program, allow long-term conservation of genetic resources and accelerate deployment of superior material. It will allow highly interesting research on genetic diversity of plants propagated through somatic embryogenesis and will provide material for investigation of genotype-specific optimisation of techniques.
Some remarkable lines will be used as references in transgenesis and physiological experiments. A large commercial nursery and an industrial pulp and paper company are interested in further demonstrating the performance of the system in order to validate its economical interest. Communication to industrial and tree planters will be organised. Several plots for demonstrating this material to the potential users will be established and experimental plots will allow us to monitor the long-term behaviour of the material. When old enough, the trees will be subjected to wood and paper quality analysis.