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The peculiar characteristics of conifers determine the difficulty of their study and their great importance from various points of view. However, their study faces numerous important scientific, methodological, cultural, economic, social, and legal challenges. This paper presents an approach to several of those challenges and proposes a multidiscip...
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... are characterized by extraordinarily large genomes [36] with high heterozygosity levels and high repetitive DNA content [37,38]; that is why full genome sequencing of conifers was not technically or economically viable before 2013 ( Table 2). The development of next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) technologies and powerful bioinformatics methods for the assembly and annotation of the genome sequence allowing the obtaining of the full genome and/or transcriptome from several conifer species (for a complete review, see [39,40]). ...Citations
... Even though the number of genome-sequenced tree species is steadily increasing since the first tree genome of the poplar species Populus trichocarpa [35], reference genomes are still quite limited to tree species with a manageable genome size. In particular, sequencing the complex genomes of some conifers remains a hurdle [36]. The availability of a reference genome is a prerequisite for selecting an editing target and verifying the presence of the protospacer-adjacent motif (PAM), as well as for identifying loci in the genome that might be considered as off-target sites. ...
Since the first CRISPR/Cas-mediated genome editing of poplar in 2015, an increasing number of tree species are being genome-edited. Although the availability of genome sequences, tissue culture and transformation systems are limiting factors, research is ongoing on advanced methods such as DNA-free genome editing and gene targeting approaches in addition to the optimisation of single gene knockouts. These can be used to address ambitious issues and perform genome editing more accurately, which has implications for the legal assessment of edited trees. Once technically established, CRISPR/Cas can be used to circumvent specific challenges related to forest tree species, e.g., longevity and extended vegetative phases, and to modify traits relevant for breeding, whether for direct application or to elucidate the genetic basis of individual traits. Not least due to climate change, adaptation to abiotic stress such as drought stress as well as biotic stresses caused by pathogens are strongly in focus. For the use as a renewable resource and as a carbon sink, wood productivity in forest trees as well as wood properties are of interest. In biosafety assessments, tree-specific aspects have to be considered, which result, among other aspects, from the long lifespan.
... They represent a wide range of aspects related to the application of plant biotechnology in forestry and give timely examples of research activities that can be observed around the globe. An overview on conifer biotechnology is firstly presented [1]. Among the arsenal of biotechnological approaches, micropropagation techniques coupled with the rooting of cuttings [2][3][4][5][6][7][8] are currently recognized as the most potent tools for the large-scale propagation of elite forest varieties. ...
Forests, often referred to as the lungs of our planet, stand as a testament to the incredible diversity and significance of our terrestrial ecosystems [...]
... Cytokinins play several recognized roles in plant development, through the suppression of apical dominance and promotion of the development of axillary buds, the promotion of cell division, or the stimulation of plant protein synthesis [16,36]. BA is the most commonly used plant growth regulator; it is applied alone or in combination with other CK to promote in vitro shoot induction due to its effectiveness and affordability [37][38][39]. ...
Cryptomeria japonica (Thunb. ex L.f.) D. Don is a commercial tree native to Japan and is one of the most important forest species in that country and the Azores (Portugal). Because of the quality of C. japonica timber, several genetic improvement programs have been performed. Recently, some studies focusing on C. japonica somatic embryogenesis have been carried out. However, in this species, this process uses immature seeds as initial explants, and for this reason, it is not possible to achieve the maximum genetic gain (100% genetic of the donor plant). Although some studies have been made applying organogenesis to this species, the success of the process in adult trees is low. For this reason, our main goal was to optimize the micropropagation method by using trees older than 30 years as a source of plant material. In this sense, in a first experiment, we studied the effect of different types of initial explants and three basal culture media on shoot induction; then, two sucrose concentrations and two light treatments (LEDs versus fluorescent lights) were tested for the improvement of rooting. In a second experiment, the effects of different plant growth regulators (6-benzylaminopurine, meta-topolin, and thidiazuron) on shoot induction and the subsequent phases of the organogenesis process were analyzed. The cultures produced the highest number of shoots when QL medium (Quoirin and Lepoivre, 1977) and long basal explants (>1.5 cm) were used; the shoots obtained produced a higher number of roots when they were grown under red LED lights. Moreover, root induction was significantly higher in shoots previously induced with meta-topolin.
The study can provide decision-making support to loggers and participants in forest relations who are obliged to carry out reforestation activities to assess the factors that change the effectiveness of forestry and logging operations. The balance of production and environmental effects from the use of forest transport machines in the development of forestry is an important step in effective quality management of forest landscape restoration. The degree of compaction of the forest soil from the impact of propellers directly affects both the fuel consumption of the power plant of the forest transport machine and the ability of forest seeds of the main breed to germinate. The primary transportation of trees and their parts (whips, balances, assortments, waste residues and other waste of logging production) occupies an increasing volume in the energy balance of the timber transport machine. It is necessary to solve complex problems of choosing energy-efficient and maneuverable biaxial articulated timber transport vehicles in comparison with machines with a continuous frame for performing transport work in the conditions of a cutting area. In order to maximize the requirements for the efficient operation of machines in difficult cutting conditions, it is necessary to ensure, along with high operational properties (traction, cross-country ability, maneuverability, smooth running), a high level of technical and economic indicators. The assessment of the applicability of existing structures of forest transport vehicles was carried out by statistical methods of Ward and intergroup relations according to the criteria of soil compaction, patency, maneuvering, power circulation, traction losses, balance of weight distribution and purpose. When planning future research, it is necessary to answer a number of questions: which criterion should be used as a universal one for unambiguous selection of the type of forest transport vehicle? Is it possible to estimate the geomorphology of the future cutting area in advance with the use of unmanned aircraft systems and predict the effective trajectories of movement of articulated timber vehicles?
