© 1993 Heron Publishing—Victoria, Canada
Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated transformation to improve rooting ability of eucalypts
Sharmane MacRae (1, 2) and Johannes van Staden (1)
1. FRD/UN Research Unit for Plant Growth and Development, Department of Botany, University of Natal, P.O. Box 375, Pietermaritzburg
3200, South Africa / 2. CSIR, Division of Forest Science and Technology, P.O. Box 17001, Congella, 4013, Durban, South Africa / Received July 27, 1992
Summary
In an attempt to improve rooting in in vitro propagated Eucalyptus clones, root-inducing genes on the Ri plasmids of three Agrobacterium rhizogenes strains were inserted into the Eucalyptus genome. Root development was monitored in vitro and after the plantlets had hardened off. Only transformed roots grew as
root cultures in hormone-free liquid medium. The potential use of this procedure for improving rooting of clonal material
is discussed.
Keywords:
Eucalyptus grandis, Eucalyptus dunnii, Eucalyptus nitens, genetic transformation, Ri plasmids, root induction.
