Gene expression in cultured primordial shoots of adult white spruce (Picea glauca) in somatic embryogenesis responsive and non responsive genotypes

Background Modern forest management relies on extensive breeding and reforestation programs to sustain forest productivity and conservation of natural forests. Plantation forestry, with its increased productivity and improved wood quality, is likely to become an important source of wood products in the future. Vegetative propagation of superior coniferous forest trees through tissue culture has the potential to deliver a stable supply of superior seedlings for forest plantation. To clone adult (mature) conifer trees by means of tissue culture has been a cherished goal for the last several decades. The benefits derived from improving the genetic make-up of planting stock would be significant if such clonal propagation could be achieved at a high efficiency and without growth abnormalities of regenerated plants. Although, somatic embryogenesis (SE) technology has worked well for many conifer species using zygotic embryos as starting material, attempts to achieve the same in adult conifers have failed. The basis of this failure is not exactly understood.