Somatic embryogenesis (SE) is a plant tissue culture process that can be used to store juvenile material capable of regenerating somatic embryos of elite individuals in a sustained manner. The technology is being applied to capture elite families and deploy clonal tests in several plantation pine species and in Douglas-fir and spruce. Refinements in SE protocols have resulted in somatic embryos with attributes important for large-scale delivery. These attributes include a high degree of desiccation tolerance and germination vigour, which are key factors in allowing storage of production inventory and the subsequent sowing of embryos to nursery environments during mass production. Mass production combined with clonal selection offers an integrated system to deliver genetic improvement to the field, which bypasses seed orchard production and its associated infrastructure and time constraints. The resulting availability of clonal forestry in coniferous trees is expected to provide significant economies in wood and fibre production as well as uniformity and value improvements. Given the progress in clonal selection, production and deployment using somatic embryogenesis to date, this technology represents a near term commercial opportunity for enhancing plantation productivity.

Hyalotlastrum gen. nov., et H. salvadorae sp. nov., belonging to Coelomycetes are illustrated, described mid compared with related taxa.

History of Phyllosticta is traced and description of the genus is amended in the light of recent developments on conidiogenesis and appendage formation. A. new, species Phyllosticta sultanii and a new name Phyllosticta ahmadii are described, illustrated and compared:With related taxa.

Alpakesiopsis gen.nov., and A. ghaffari sp.nov., belonging to Ceolomycetes are illustrated described and compared with related taxa.

Detailed studies on additional hosts of Seimatosporiopsis viz., Salvadora persica, Acacia Senegal, Prosopis juliflora, Citrullus colocynthes, Calotropis procera and Capparis decidua belonging to different angiospermic families and collected from different claimatic regions of Pakistan showed significant variation from the original description of the genus, therefore generic description has been amended.

Study of isotype of Pseudorobillarda sojae Uecker & Kulik (IMI 1298796) revealed that it does not belong to Pseudorobillarda and differs from other Coelomycetous genera, therefore a new generic name Stauronematopsis Abbas, Sutton & Ghaffar and a new combination S sojae (Uecker & Kulik) Abbas, Sutton & Ghaffar is proposed.

A new species Foveostroma salvadorae on Salvadora oleoides is described, illustrated and compared with related taxa.

Cystotrichiopsis gen.nov., and C. salvadorae sp.nov., on Salvadora oleoides is described, illustrated and compared with related taxa.

A new species of Cytostagonospora yousufii Abbas, Sutton & Ghaffar is described, illustrated and compared with 4 species of Cytostagonospora.

Camarosporiopsis Abbas, Sutton & Ghaffar gen.nov., and C. capparidis (Ahmad) Abbas, Sutton & Ghaffar com.nov., on Capparis decidua, based on Camarosporium capparidis Ahmad are described, illustrated and compared with related taxa.

The coelomycete Melanconiopsis microspora is introduced as a new species from bamboo culms collected in Argentina. Its comparison with the type species of the genus, M. inquinans (from which it differs in the smaller conidia), also resulted in a reappraisal of M. olivacea which is referred back to Sphaeropsis as S. olivacea, the third accepted species in the genus. M. elzoi is probably accommodated in Endomelanconium as a fourth accepted species; notes on the known species in this genus are given.

Septoria salvadorae Abbas, Sutton & Ghaffar sp nov., on Salvadora persica is described, illustrated and compared with related taxa.

Results of a transmission and scanning electron microscopy study of the mitosporogenous process in Cercosporella ugandensis are given. The details hitherto deduced from light microscopy concerning mitospore initiation, maturation and secession are confirmed. In addition, an ultrastructural basis, in terms of wall layer deposition, is provided for mitospore maturation, scar structure and development, and mitospore secession. This implies a quite separate mode of delimitation and liberation in comparison to other fungi in the Cercospora-like generic assemblage.

A new combination Phloeosporella salvodorae (Prasad, Singh & Bhatnagar) Abbas, Sutton & Ghaffar is proposed based on Septogloeum salvadorae Prasad, Singh & Bhatnagar.

Ten new species of Coniothyrium on Salvadora spp., viz., Coniothyrium pakistanicum, C. oblongatum, C. undulatum, C. maqsoodii, C. ismailii, C. suttonii, C. sultanii, C. sivanesanii, C. punithalingamii; C. truncatum and an already reported Coniothyrium salvadorae are described, illustrated and compared with related taxa.