Micropropagation and Genetic Transformation of the Marula Tree

Marula, Sclerocarya birrea subsp. caffra is a multipurpose drought tolerant tree, growing from Senegal and South Sudan in the North to Northern Namibia and South Africa in the South. Marula, like many indigenous trees in the developing world, has enormous economic potential. Commercialization and export of marula products will demand rapid multiplication of superior quality trees. In vitro propagation especially of wild harvested tree material accelerates multiplication of selected trees for increased production efficiencies and more uniform qualities of derived products. Genetic transformation provides additional means to optimize, study and understand pathways in a subtropical African fruit tree. This book is a must-have resource to all those who embark on micropropagation and genetic transformation of new indigenous tree species. It provides step by step protocols for micropropagation and genetic transformation of the drought tolerant marula tree and direct relevance to mango, pistachio, cashew of the mango family as well as other subtropical and indigenous trees. This book is read by students and professionals in the field of tree tissue culture and biotechnology.