Clonal propagation of elite trees by somatic embryogenesis (SE) can shorten periods needed for breeding of trees, and can ensure a stable production of high quality plants for the forestry sector. SE has special interest as a breeding tool, because it for many species is the preferred basis for development of additional biotechnological breeding technologies as e.g. genetic transformation, and because SE allows for storage of elite germ plasm over extended periods in liquid nitrogen. The combination of SE and other biotechnological breeding tools permit for relative fast and market oriented breeding and the production of trees ‘fit for purpose'. However, commercial application of the technology has until now been hampered by two essential problems: 1) the production costs per plant must be reduced, 2) improved methods must be developed for transfer and acclimatization of plants from sterile in vitro conditions to non sterile (ex vitro/in vivo) conditions in the nursery.

To solve these problems, a Danish based project has been established to combine clonal propagation by SE with biotechnological breeding tools, and with robot - and visualization technologies. The present project takes advantage of effective methods developed at the University of Copenhagen for SE in nordmanns fir and sitka spruce. Nordmanns fir has special interest in Denmark for production of Christmas trees and sitka spruce has gained renewed interest for production of biofuels.