Potential for biotechnology applications in plantation forestry

In recent years the application of biotechnology to agriculture has resulted in a host of changes and innovations. It has also generated controversy over the introductions of transgenic crops. However, transgenics (genetically modified organisms) are common in much of North American agriculture including corn, soybean, cotton and other agricultural products. Forestry is not yet at that level of commercial application. However, there are numerous biotechnological innovations under development, many of them adapted from agriculture. For example, a relatively large number (124) of introduced traits of transgenic trees have been under recent regulatory examination in the U.S. [1]. Thus, we may be on the threshold of a new era in forestry. This chapter examines the potential for biotechnology applications in plantation forestry.