Forest biotechnology in Sabah. Initial report

Abstract

During its first two-year period of activities, the joint CIRAD-Forêt / Innoprise Corporation Sdn Bhd (I.C.S.B.) forest biotechnology laboratory has been producing noticeable results in a development oriented research programme.
Micropropagation and isoenzyme analysis were the two main technologies specifically developed on a choice of species selected by mutual agreement, taking into account the plantation objectives of our Malaysian partner.
Micropropagation protocols were developed, giving rise to the production and acclimatisation of several hundred tissue-culture-issued rattan (Calamus manan) plants, in addition to several thousand teak plantlets. A mass micropropagation technique was established for this latter species for mass-producing cloned tissue culture plantlets from mature genotypes. Concurrently, new methods with a view to cloning mature selected individuals of other species were developed, such as shoot apex micrografting of Acacia mangium.
lsoenzyme analysis of different populations of Calamus manan and Calamus subinermis helped to obtain some initial information about the genetic variation within and among populations of the set two species of high market value rattan. Although Calamus subinermis and Calamus manan both showed a high genetic variability of similar level (He= 0.47), the various populations investigated displayed significant genetic differences only for Calamus manan.