Open AccessForestry's fertile crescent: the application of biotechnology to forest trees
Author(s) -
Campbell Malcolm M.,
Brunner Amy M.,
Jones Helen M.,
Strauss Steve H.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
plant biotechnology journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.525
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1467-7652
pISSN - 1467-7644
DOI - 10.1046/j.1467-7652.2003.00020.x
Subject(s) - domestication , biology , crop , agroforestry , pace , tree breeding , tree (set theory) , microbiology and biotechnology , botany , agronomy , woody plant , ecology , geography , mathematical analysis , geodesy , mathematics
Summary Relative to crop plants, the domestication of forest trees is still in its infancy. For example, the domestication of many crop plants was initiated some 10 000 years ago in the so‐called ‘Fertile Crescent’ of the Middle East. By contrast, the domestication of forest trees for the purposes of producing more fibre began in earnest in the last half century. The application of biotechnology to forest trees offers a great potential to hasten the pace of tree improvement for desirable end uses. This review outlines some of the progress that has been made in the application of biotechnology to forest trees, and considers the prospects for biotechnologically based tree improvement in the future.