Molecular Dna Marker Analysis to Assess the Genetic Fidelity of Micropropagated Woody Plants

Successful micropropagation of woody plants is relatively a recent phenomenon (Thorpe, 1990; Bajaj, 1997). Several woody species such as poplars, wild cherry, eucalypts, red wood, radiata pine and teak are at present commercially micropropagated (Thorpe, 1990; Bajaj, 1997), while for others, such as sandal wood, birch, loblolly pineShoreaand Dalbergia, the protocols are being standardized for mass multiplication. Very soon, standardized and efficient protocols for mass multiplication of a large number of diverse woody plant species would be available. From the practical standpoint, however, the maintenance of genetic integrity among micropropagated plants vis-a-vis explant source(s) will be one of the most crucial concerns for the reasons that advantages like high yield, uniform quality of commercial product and shorter rotation period, in the use of elite genotype(s) over natural seedlings are maintained, and no untoward mutation(s) creep in (Larkin and Scowcroft, 1983; D’Amato 1985; Scowcroft, 1985; Larkin, 1987; Karp and Bright, 1985; Peschke and Phillips, 1992; Cloutier and Landry, 1994; Karp, 1991,1995; Phillips et al., 1990, 1994; Kaeppler et al., 1998; Jain et al., 1998a,o; Jain, 2001). This is all the more important for tree species and other perennial crops where the life span is long and the performance of invitro-derived plants can be ascertained only