IUFRO Spotlights

2014-06-26

IUFRO Spotlight #23 – Eucalyptus genome

Eucalyptus species and hybrids make up the most widely planted hardwood crop globally. An international team of researchers has now successfully sequenced and analyzed the genome of Eucalyptus grandis.

Professor Zander Myburg, a researcher at the University of Pretoria (UP), South Africa, was the lead investigator in a global project to unravel the genetic blueprint of Eucalyptus grandis. Native to Australia, eucalypts have been introduced worldwide, mainly in tropical and sub-tropical countries. Eucalypt plantations are grown in over 90 countries as short rotation (6-9 years) wood fibre crops. The researchers say that now that the genes that determine specific characteristics in these trees are known, it will be possible to breed trees that grow faster, have higher quality wood and use water and land more efficiently. This will also allow breeding trees that are better able to cope with future climate change scenarios.

 

Further reading:

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