Selection gains for essential oil traits using micropropagation of Eucalyptus polybractea

Abstract

The value of eucalyptus oil for medicinal purposes is based largely on its cineole content, and the prime commercial species for pharmaceutical grade eucalyptus oil is Eucalyptus polybractea (blue mallee). This study applies a recently developed micropropagation protocol to selected elite oil yielding blue mallee seedlings and investigates the potential of a trial plantation based on micropropagated clones to increase cineole yields. The study aims to assess two micropropagated clones of blue mallee for growth and key essential oil traits in comparison to two related half-sibling families, and to assess consistency for oil traits within clones. After 23 months growth in a plantation, all ram..