At this stage, the project is concentrating on upscaling the production of a few key species known to be popular with farmers. Other species will be included in the longer term. First on the list of priorities is Grevillea robusta , known as mukima in Kenya. Next come three fast-growing eucalyptus species widely grown for firewood, E. tereticornis, E. saligna and E. grandis . Added to these will be a most promising eucalyptus hybrid bred from Mondi Forests that the company has agreed to donate to Kenya.
Tissue culture is a sensitive process in which much can go wrong.
And it becomes even trickier when performed on a large scale rather than a small one. Slight variations in temperature or the formulation of the media may result in failure without an obvious cause. Contamination of the media by unwanted bacteria is another problem that frequently occurs. The successful introduction of tissue culture, like that of other biotechnologies, also depends on its integration with existing practices. Tree plantlets derived from tissue culture are managed differently in the nursery from those raised from seed or cuttings.