Clonal propagation of elite trees by somatic embryogenesis can shorten periods needed for breeding of trees, and can ensure a stable production of high quality plants for the forestry sector. It will furthermore allow for relative fast market oriented breeding and the production of trees ‘fit for purpose' and guarantee a consumer oriented and tailor made wood supply. However, commercial application of the technology has until now been hampered by two essential problems: 1) the production costs per plant must be reduced, 2) improved methods must be developed for transfer and acclimatisation of plants from sterile in vitro conditions to non sterile (ex vitro/in vivo) conditions in the nursery.

To solve these problems, a Danish based project has been established to combine clonal propagation by somatic embryogenesis (SE) with biotechnological breeding tools, and with robot - and visualisation technologies. The present project takes advantage of effective methods developed at the University of Copenhagen for SE in nordmanns fir and sitka spruce. These methods are used as a model system for development of biotechnological breeding tools in combination with automated plant production of plants for the forestry industry.