Plant Genome III Conference

THE INTEGRATION OF MOLECULAR GENETICS WITH TRADITIONAL FOREST PATHOLOGY PROMISES TO ACCELERATE RESEARCH IN FOREST TREE DISEASES.

1. USDA Forest Service, Southern Forest Experiment Station, Southern Institute of Forest Genetics, Gulfport, MS 39505
2. Institute of Forest Genetics, Pacific Southwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service, P.O. Box 245, Berkeley, CA 94701.

Research on economically important forest tree diseases has long been a major component of forestry research programs in the U.S. and Canada. This research has largely been based on traditional approaches utilizing techniques that have been available to plant pathologists and plant geneticist for decades. However, the recent, rapid development and widespread availability of molecular-based techniques promises to greatly accelerate research progress in tree disease research, especially when applied in conjunction with studies on disease development using genetically characterized host:pathogen interactions. Several recent examples of molecular-aided approaches in important forest tree disease systems in North America will be presented, with special emphasis on those examples that illustrate the successful integration of molecular and traditional approaches.