GENETIC IMPROVEMENT OF MULTI-PURPOSE TREE SPECIES

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Abstract
Breeding strategies, methods and prospects for genetic improvement of multipurpose trees are examined. Despite important differences in ideotype, management and manipulation between industrial timber trees and non-industrial multi-purpose trees, much the same standard breeding procedures are relevant to both. These include selection of individual outstanding trees, progeny testing, seed orchard establishment, recurrent selection, hybridization and clonal macro- and micro-propagation in vitro by tissue culture. Available genetic information on the better known multi-purpose trees is appended. Knowledge of natural variation, floral biology and breeding systems of the majority of multi-purpose trees is still limited, so there is an urgent need for basic research on these aspects as they determine what breeding strategies are the most appropriate for each species.