Restoration of Thai teak forest through somatic embryo

Abstract

Somatic embryogenesis is one of the great turning points in plant tissue culture technology because this phenomenon provides an asexual embryo that could be applied in various ways especially for forest improvement. Many tissue cultured trees were produced via organogenic pathway. However, those organogenic forest plants, after deflasking, were vulnerable for natural disaster due to them lacking of tap roots. In this way, somatic embryo would be an alternative method offering the better chance for forest restoration. Currently, teak timber is very expensive in Thailand and, so far, the seedling production of this plant species through tissue culture mostly was organogenesis. The present review article summaries teak somatic embryogenesis research and discusses the advantage of somatic embryogenesis over organogenesis on teak reforestation.