STAR Biotechnology Limited has perfected the laboratory application of a naturally occurring evolutionary event, i.e. the ability to consistently create stable polyploids (plants with duplicate sets of chromosomes), allowing accelerated plant growth. The Tree Adaptation Process creates polyploids at will, however the groundbreaking part of this process is the ability to create adaptive polyploids, where entire gene clusters are rearranged in order to cope with specific environmental and physical conditions (genomic architecture).
Toona ciliata comparison
Parent (small) and
Adapted Tree (large)
The process involves the DNA profiling of elite mother stock trees and processing them through the Tree Adaptation Process. The end result is a new plant with the same physical characteristics yet significantly greater genetic material and therefore, growth potential than its mother stock. The new child stock is significantly different on a number of levels and has the potential to be protected under the plant breeder's rights scheme.
The Tree Adaptation Process has now been completed for the following species: Acacia crassicarpa, Elaeocarpus grandis, Paulownia fortunei, Araucaria cunninghamii, Pinus radiata, Agathis robusta and Toona ciliata. Bio Adapt International is continuing to work on other high value species for the timber and pulp markets.
Paulownia Shoot Tip Culture
Tissue Culture
Through this unique polyploid process, vastly superior genotypes have been developed and are now being micropropagated through plant tissue culture. Micropropagation allows for large numbers of identical plants to be produced. With most of our plants, this is achieved through shoot tip cultures. Plants such as Paulownia and Elaeocarpus also have the ability to regenerate from leaf pieces making high frequency micropropagation possible.
UPP System
The Ultimate Plant Propagation System (UPPSystem)
The Ultimate Plant Propagation System was specifically designed to provide the perfect environment for tissue cultured shoots to acclimate. This all in one system allows tissue culture environments to be simulated to allow the plants to grow roots and acclimate at the same time. This effectively reduces the amount of handling a tissue culture plantlet needs and reduces the time taken to get the plants sun hardened and ready for planting.
For more information on the above processes go to www.arbourtech.net. Arbourtech Technologies Pty Limited, a related corporation, holds the Exclusive Worldwide Processing License for the polyploid technologies.
Polyploidy as defined by Wikipedia: are "cells or organisms that contain more than two copies of their chromosomes".
A naturally occurring phenomenon, polyploidy generally occurs in pioneer plant species during times of environmental stress. Polyploids are found in most of our food crops, however due to the long reproductive cycle of tree crops natural polyploids in forestry are unheard of.
Polyploids contain more chlorophyll, photosynthesise at a faster rate and therefore grow faster than conventional plants.
Much scientific work has been conducted to produce polyploid events, however to date, few polyploid events have resulted in "stable plants" (that is, they created the polyploid event using mutagens but the plants did not thrive). One of the best known and most commercially successful polyploid events was the creation of the seedless watermelon.
There are many examples of existing polyploids, particularly in the food
category, where multigenerational intensive breeding has occurred. Examples
such as - maize, watermelons, wheat, cotton, potatoes, cabbage, leek,
strawberries, pansies, oat, peanuts, sugar cane, bananas, tobacco and
apples.
Go back to Tree Adaption Process.
