Recent advances in mass clonal propagation of Teak

#Tectona grandis#, commonly called teak, is one of the best-known and highest value timbers in the world, with certain specific features that justify investment in clonal forestry. Possibilities for vegetative propagation of mature teak genotypes were assessed by both advanced nursery and tissue culture development-oriented technigues. Nursery experiments established the influence of cutting type on the potential of mature teak trees to be clonally mass-propagated through rooted cuttings, leading to the definition of a standard, which was shown to be better achieved by intensive management of the container-grown stock plants. Concurrently, adapted tissue culture methods applied to a few nodal primary explants demonstrated the possibility to produce within a few months and using a simple basal culture medium, several thousands of in vitro plantlets that can be easily acclimatised to outdoor conditions. Such results indicate that clonal propagation can be realistically applied to mature superior genotypes of teak,providing suitable nursery or tissue culture technology is available. (Résumé d'auteur