New Zealand's world status as the leader in pine tree cloning could be threatened if scientists can't solve a problem with some of the 'super trees' grown in Whakatane.
Horizon2, a forestry biotechnology company in the Bay of Plenty, has gone global in its efforts to find out why some of the mother plants from one of its elite pine tree breeding programmes are mysteriously failing.
An expert on somatic embryogenesis - the process used to clone the trees - flew in from Ireland to assist the company. Dr David Thompson, will try to work out why some of the mother plants are turning yellow and then becoming so weak that they snap off at ground level.
The host plants, the result of the sophisticated cloning process can produce up to 50 cuttings each for sale to forest owners. The trees are selected for their superior traits like fast growth rates and desirable wood quality.
Horizon2 CEO, Andrew Rodwell said the clones are good products and only a few are causing concerns.
"This is complex and clever technology. We have proven and approved stock, which are the oldest commercial clones in the ground."
Product quality is not suffering at the moment because the suspect plants are removed from production before they go into the market, but ultimately, the problem impacts the company's profit.
Dr Thompson has worked with international companies experienced in this technique which involves propagating tissue from immature seeds in sterile, laboratory conditions to rapidly multiply stock of preferred varieties.
Staff based in Whakatane have been trying to solve the problem for months.
Kiri Armstrong, a Propagation Technologist with Horizon2 said they have been learning more about somatic embryogenesis and up-scaling the technology over the last few years.
"We've made significant advances towards optimizing the technology, but this problem has us stumped," said Ms Armstrong.
"With each mother plant producing 50 trees out the gate, they are very valuable," said Ms Armstrong.
Somatic embryogenesis was selected as the preferred cloning process because it generates more trees more quickly and the base tissue can be cryogenically preserved.
The Foundation for Research, Science and Technology has invested $800,000 in the project at Horizon2.
Soil and Health Association of NZ spokesperson Steffan Browning said he wasn't familiar with the technology used by the biotech company.
"I'm not sure about this process they are using, but sometimes natural processes are missing. It is not surprising as all the natural processes have a function and the complexity is often way beyond what the best scientists know," Mr Browning said.
Feeds