Sustainable tree improvement scheme leading to economical carbon cycling in teak

The sustainability and efficiency of timber plantations need to be enhanced to meet the global demand for industrial roundwood which is forecasted to increase by 60% by 2030. <i>Tectona grandis</i> (teak) is one of the premier timber species with a lot of promise for short rotation. We demonstrate a potential pipeline to establish a smart plantation for teak using genetically improved propagules, tissue culture, and seed orchards. The primary step in establishing a smart plantation is the production of quality propagules after evaluating the genetic make-up of the parent trees. With the availability of whole-genome sequence and genetic marker information in teak, long-term genetic gain of propagules can be attained through the best use of genetic variance. This objective can be achieved by following an optimal mating scheme such as genomic mating, and selection based on the breeding value of individuals as well as that of groups. Through genomic selection and mating, favorable alleles can be retained in the population to maximize genetic merit and sustain it for multiple generations. This pipeline is also expected to save a lot of time in years while facilitating the establishment of elite plants in the plantation. Through tissue culture, the only route to commercialize teak clones, the genetically improved clones can be distributed for plantation establishment. Multi-trait improvement with the aim of producing trees with more volume, short-rotation, and tolerance to pests and pathogens are considered for genomic selection and mating. With appropriate silvicultural management, the smart plantations established can facilitate carbon cycling in a better and sustainable way. Keywords: Genetic resources, Innovation, Sustainable forest management, Research ID: 3614687

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Elias, A. A., Ramasamy, Y.
Format: Document biblioteca
Language:English
Published: FAO ; 2022
Online Access:https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/cc4398en
http://www.fao.org/3/cc4398en/cc4398en.pdf
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