Pinus radiata (D. Don) Somatic Embryogenesis

Radiata pine ( Pinus radiata D. Don) is one of the most widely planted exotic pine species in rainfall environments of the Southern hemisphere (Yan et al. 2006). Its fast growth has stimulated an exhaustive study of wood production, and the development of breeding programs (Espinel et al. 1995; Codesido and Fernandez-Lopez 2009). Although utility of in vitro organogenesis has been proven for clonal propagation of this species (Aitken-Christie et al. 1985), a limitation of this method is the high cost of the process for mass production commercially.