In vitro propagation of the African mahogany Khaya senegalensis

Encapsulation technology for short-term preservation and germplasm distribution of the African mahogany Khaya senegalensis

“…Establishment of K. senegalensis plantations has been hampered by limited seed supply from seed orchards and low multiplication rates from nursery stock plants (Nikles et al 2008). In vitro methods have been developed for rapid shoot proliferation and plantlet development in this species (Danthu et al 2003;Hung and Trueman 2011a), and the techniques developed in the present study now provide the means to efficiently transfer K. senegalensis clones between laboratories and produce suitable plantlets for acclimatisation and growth in nurseries. A clonal forestry or vegetative family forestry program for K. senegalensis would ideally incorporate methods to store clones and delay clonal maturation during their field testing, possibly under minimal growth conditions or by cryopreservation (Trueman 2006;Hazubska-Przybył et al 2010;Trueman 2010, 2011b;Ming-Hua and Sen-Rong 2010;Wen and Wang 2010).…”

“…Shoots of four highly proliferating K. senegalensis clones, K61, K522, K584 and K686, from seeds obtained from Burkina Faso, were raised on full-strength MS (Murashige and Skoog) medium (PhytoTechnology Laboratories, Shawnee Mission, Kansas) containing 4.4 lM benzyladenine (BA) (Sigma, St. Louis, MO) and 3% (w/v) sucrose, as described by Hung and Trueman (2011a). After seven subcultures at 5-week intervals, shoot tips (4-5 mm length) were aseptically excised for use as encapsulated micropropagules (described below), while subtending nodes were retained for further production of shoot tips.…”

“…Micropropagation techniques have recently been developed for K. senegalensis (Hung and Trueman 2011a) as part of a genetic improvement program aimed at selecting high-quality timber-yielding clones (Nikles et al 2008). Plantlet formation and acclimatisation were accomplished by treating shoots with indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), transferring the shoots to hormone-free culture media, and transplanting the plantlets to potting mix (Hung and Trueman 2011a).…”

“…Plantlet formation and acclimatisation were accomplished by treating shoots with indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), transferring the shoots to hormone-free culture media, and transplanting the plantlets to potting mix (Hung and Trueman 2011a). This method requires large volumes of sterile culture media and careful control of environmental conditions during acclimatisation.…”

Sustainable Horticultural Systems

“…Tissue culture systems allow for axenic propagation of plant material with high multiplication rates. Virusfree plants can be obtained through meristem culture, in combination with thermotherapy (Reed 2008;Kapai et al 2010;Hung and Trueman 2011;Volk 2012). The miniaturization of explants reduces space requirements and consequently labour costs for maintenance of germplasm collections ( Mohamed-Yasseen 1993; Zulfiqar et al 2009).…”