Micropropagation: An Important Tool for Conserving Forest Trees

Forest trees are renewable sources of food, fodder, fuel wood, timber and other valuable non-timber products. The ever increasing human and livestock populations have put heavy demands for plant products, resulting in over exploitation of forest trees. Therefore, there is an urgent need for conservation of germplasm and also for propagation of a sustainable utilization of forest trees. Micropropagation of tree species offers a rapid means of producing clonal planting stock for afforestation, woody biomass production and conservation of elite and rare germplasm. This review provides an overview of the success achieved on in vitro work done for a number of important forest trees.