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Major and exciting changes have taken place recently in various aspects of bio technology and its applications to forestry. Even more exciting is the prospect of major innovations that the entire field of biotechnology holds for plant growth in general. The importance of these developments for the forestry sector is considerable, particu larly since forestry science has not received the kinds of technical and R&D inputs that, say, agriculture has received in the past few decades. Y ct the problems of defor estation as well as stagnation in yields and productivity of existing forests throughout the world are becoming increasingly apparent, with consequences and ecological ef fects that cause growing worldwide concern. Policies for application of existing knowl edge in biotechnology to the field of forestry and priorities for future research and development are, therefore, of considerable value, because it is only through the adop tion of the right priorities and enlightened policies that scientific developments will move along the right direction, leading to improvements in forestry practices through out the world. It was against this backdrop that the Tata Energy Research Institute (TERI) or ganised a major international workshop on the "Applications of Biotechnology in For estry and Horticulture" at New Delhi in January 1988. The present volume covers the proceedings of this international workshop.
List of contents
I. Current Status of Forestry.- 1. Applications of Biotechnology in Forestry.- 2. Applications of Biotechnology in Forestry and Rural Development.- 3. Forestry in India: Problems and Prospects and the Role of Tissue Culture.- 4. Forest Tree Breeding and Mass Cloning for Tree Improvement in Indian Forestry.- 5. Afforestation in India.- II. Applications of Tissue Culture in Forestry and Horticulture.- 6. Artificial Seed Production and Forestry.- 7. Biotechnological Application of Plant Tissue Culture to Forestry in India.- 8. Tissue Culture of Plantation Crops.- 9. In vitro Strategies for Tropical Fruit Tree Improvement.- 10. The Context and Strategies for Tissue Culture of Date, African Oil and Coconut Palms.- 11. In vitro Strategies for Sandalwood Propagation.- 12. Micropropagation of Ficus auriculata Lour.- 13. Genetic Variation in Tissue Culture as a Consequence of the Morphogenic Process.- 14. Performance Criteria in Response Surfaces for Metabolic Phenotypes of Clonally PropagatedWoody Perennials.- 15. Alteration of Growth and Morphogenesis by Endogenous Ethylene and Carbon Dioxide in Conifer Tissue Cultures.- 16. Storage of Forest Tree Germplasm at Sub-zero Temperatures.- III. Commercial Exploitation of Tissue Culture in Horticulture.- 17. Tissue Culture of Ornamental Plants.- 18. Tissue Culture of Orchids in Thailand.- 19. Acclimatization of Tissue Culture-Raised Plants for Transplantation to the Field.- 20. Pilot Plant Tissue Culture Unit.- 21. Large-scale Production of Plants Through Micropropagation: Problems, Prospects and Opportunities for India.- 22. Cost Analysis of Micropropagated Plants.- IV. Nitrogen Fixation Studies in Forestry.- 23. Micropropagation and Nodulation of Tree Legumes.- 24. Role of Mycorrhizae in Forestry.- 25. Ectomycorrhizal Effects on Nodulation, Nitrogen Fixation and Growth of Alnus glutinosa as Affected by Glyphosate.- V. Genetic Engineering of Forest Species.- 26. Genetic Engineering of Tree Species.- 27. Genetic Manipulation ofWoody Species.- 28. Genetic Transformation System in Douglas-fir Pseudotsuga Menziesii.- 29. Biological and Economic Feasibility of Genetically Engineered Trees for Lignin Properties and Carbon Allocation.- VI. Concluding Remarks.- 30. Concluding Remarks.- Contributors.- Taxonomic Index.
