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Development of clone propagation technologies
Nippon Paper Industries has developed two
tissue culture technologies known as photoautotrophic culture technology and low-temperature
storage techniques, with which it has succeeded in mass clone propagation of Eucalyptus
globulus.  Photoautotrophic
culture technology leverages the photosynthetic properties of plant life to cultivate
plants using CO2, light, and inorganic
nutrients. With this technology, we have overcome the problems of poor rooting
and retarded growth following planting
and have achieved the world's first mass production of high-quality cloned
plantlets for forestation usage. With our low-temperature storage techniques,
we store shoots that are used in rhizogenesis (root development) at low temperature
and retrieve only the required sections when necessary, thereby systematically
producing cloned plantlets. This is not merely a technology for mass propagation
because these techniques also have substantial potential to improve the stability
and flexibility of clone plantlets production operations. |
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Production tests and trial
forestation of cloned plantlets overseas
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| In June 2000,
we established facilities for cloned plantlets production in Collie, Western Australia,
and commenced proving trials. There, we select and store high-quality Eucalyptus
globulus from our plantations, run test production of cloned plantlets, and
conduct trial forestation. These operations are implemented within the tree farm
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Overall view of the
Collie compartments
Selection of elite trees
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Nursery |
which are perfectly suited to the
practical application of these new technologies. At our plantations where trial
forestation is already under way, the superior homogeneity and speed of growth
compared with noncloned seedlings has been clearly demonstrated, and we have made
great strides forward toward the commercialization of clone forestation.
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Cloned Eucalyptus globulus plantation
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Useful transgenic
plant
Nippon Paper Industries has independently
discovered a gene, Ntlim1, that is involved in determining lignin content. By
manipulating this gene, we have succeeded in creating low lignin–content
trees. Also, using the MAT vector® system to introduce beneficial genes, we
are experimenting with the production of eucalyptus trees that are especially
suited to pulping as well as rice with special health benefits.
Salt tolerance test
Transgenic eucalyptus (right side)
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Recombinant
genetics technology
Nippon Paper Industries is the original developer of the
MAT vector® system, which enables the introduction into plants of only certain
intended genes. Unlike conventional technologies, the MAT vector® system
is extremely safe since it leaves no marker genes (antibiotic resistant genes,
etc.) in the transgenic plant, and it also enables the repeated introduction
of multiple genes.
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