Tree somatic embryogenesis in science and forestry

Abstract

Somatic embryogenesis is the latest, and potentially the most efficient, method for the vegetative micropropagation of plants. Over the past three decades, numerous laboratory studies have investigated somatic embryogenesis of forest trees, yielding positive results for a number of economically important tree species. The first test trials were run and plantations were planted with interior spruce in the 90s by CellFor Inc. (Canada). However, at the beginning of the XXI century, the program to produce spruce and Douglas fir somatic seedlings was stopped for economic reasons. Thus, currently no operational program is ongoing except on a small scale in New Brunswick. In order to integrate somatic embryogenesis technology into operational reforestation programs, the production costs of forest tree somatic seedlings needs to be reduced, and the awareness of foresters and forest landowners that the material obtained through somatic embryogenesis is valuable needs to be increased. This awareness would enable implementation of this technology on a large scale for production and forest management throughout Europe including Poland. In this review, the importance of somatic embryogenesis in scientific research and in global and European forestry is presented. Our main aims are to provide basic information on the challenges in researching somatic embryogenesis of forest trees and to raise interest in this tree propagation technique in both scientists and foresters.

Expected benefit of genomic selection over forward selection in conifer breeding and deployment

“…One impediment that prevents somatic embryogenesis to be applied commercially in clonal forestry for most of conifers is its high costs [85]. This problem has been largely solved for some conifer species, for example radiata pine.…”

The plant peptide hormone phytosulfokine promotes somatic embryogenesis by maintaining redox homeostasis in Cunninghamia lanceolata

“…Nevertheless, SE is a very complex process which is affected by various factors, including but not limited to the genotype, the age of the donor plant, the origin and developmental state of the explant, the culture medium, and the combination of plant growth regulators (Carra et al., 2016; Zimmerman, 1993). Among these factors, recalcitrance of genotypes has greatly hindered the implementation of this biotechnology, especially in tree breeding programs (Guan et al., 2016; Hazubska‐Przybyl & Bojarczuk, 2016; Isah, 2016; Lelu‐Walter et al., 2013). Meanwhile, for forest tree species, conventional breeding improvements are inefficient, costly, and time consuming due to some tree characteristics like the inherently long life cycles, unstable maturation, and frequently unavoidable dilution of desirable traits caused by genetic segregation and gene flow (Cairney et al., 1999).…”

Effects of Long-Term Subculture on Maturation Ability and Plant Conversion in Pinus radiata: Using FT-IR Spectroscopy to Determine Biomarkers of Embryogenic Tissue Aging

“…Somatic embryogenesis (SE) is one of the most promising tissue culture biotechnological tools for large-scale vegetative propagation of woody plants of economic value, being considered the most effective method for the mass propagation of different Pinus species [4][5][6]. In P. radiata and in other conifers, its application allows the vegetative production of genetic material in breeding programs and in clonal forestry at an operational scale [7,8]. The success of SE depends on many factors, such as the nature of the explant, the microenvironment generated by the in vitro culture conditions, and the regulation of gene expression, among others [9].…”