Genetic improvement of forest tree species

• Main Authors: Teotônio Francisco Assis, Marcos Deon Vilela de Resende
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brazilian Society of Plant Breeding 2011-01-01
• Series: Crop Breeding and Applied Biotechnology
• Subjects: breeding; eucalyptus; Pinus; black wattle; teak
• Online Access: http://www.sbmp.org.br/cbab/siscbab/uploads/c8eb9792-5864-46f1.pdf

Brazilian forestry sector is considered one of the most developed in the world, being the base for important industrialsegments which use wood as raw material. Tree breeding has played an important role on improving the competitiveness ofBrazilian forestry-based companies, especially for its positive reflexes on increasing adaptation, forestry productivity and woodquality. In spite of the importance of other forest trees for the economy, such as Schizolobium, Araucaria, Populus and Hevea, themain genera under genetic improvement in the country are Eucalyptus, Pinus, Acacia and Tectona. They are used by industries likepulp and paper, siderurgy, tannin, chips for exportation and lumber, constituting an important source of revenues for the Brazilian’seconomy, besides their positive social and environmental impacts. This paper presents a generic approach to genetic improvementaspects of these four major genera currently undergoing breeding in Brazil.