PAG-V: W38 - STATUS OF MOLECULAR BREEDING IN FOREST TREES

Plant & Animal Genome V Conference

Town & Country Hotel, San Diego, CA, January 12-16, 1997.

W38

STATUS OF MOLECULAR BREEDING IN FOREST TREES

VAN BUIJTENEN, HANS P.
3819 Parkway Terrace, Bryan, TX 77802-3246

Molecular breeding in forest trees is still mostly in the research stage. A notable exception is the work of Fred Hebard on american chestnut. The presentation will be mostly devoted to exploring the reasons why molecular breeding has not been more widely accepted in forest trees, and possible approaches to removing some of the barriers. The barriers fall in three main categories: lack of adequate technologies, lack of perceived economic incentives and lack of cooperation among research groups. Technological problems such as transformation, vegetative multiplication of transformants, detection of QTLs, and development of dense reference maps for the important species or groups of species are well within reach, but will require a major effort. The lack of economic incentives stems from the fact that forest trees in the US have been an inexpensive product, although this is changing. The cost of forest tree seedlings is incredibly low: southern pine seedlings are routinely produced for 3 cents each. It would take an enormous increase in productivity to justify a cost of one dollar per seedling or plantlet. The lack of cooperation among research groups is the result of the prevailing culture of the research community largely driven by the competitive grants process and patents. Economics is the key to removing barriers. Forest trees are no longer cheap, and huge acreages are covered by few species. As a result modest genetic gains result in large monetary gains. Once the potential returns are recognized investment in the research and development will follow. To foster a cooperative rather than a competitive research culture is the most difficult. An obvious means in the academic world would be to make funding dependent on cooperation. Cooperation among industries could be fostered by properly organized university-industry- state cooperatives.