Biotecnology in the Southern Research Station: a problem analysis

Original publisher: Asheville, NC: US. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station, [2006] OCLC Number: (OCoLC)132687909 Subject: Forestry biotechnology -- Southern States. Excerpt: ... Biotechnology in the Southern Research Station: Problem nalysis provenance and species as well as species hybrids. common use in tree improvement is to certify the parentage of controlled crosses ( Lin and others 1997 ). ll of these uses have practical applications in forest management. Molecular genetic markers provide information about populations. Markers are useful for estimating population genetic structure, level of inbreeding, gene flow, and type of mating system ( dams and others 1990 ). They also provide phylogenetic ( Tsumura and others 1996 ) and paleobotanical ( Marshall and others 2002 ) insights. Genetic markers can produce population genetics information more quickly than common garden studies. The combination of markers and common garden studies such as seed source or provenance tests provides the most powerful information for understanding population genetic structure, mating system, and gene flow. However, in situations requiring rapid decisions about the conservation or management of species at risk, genetic markers alone provide timely and useful information for policymakers and forest managers. Genetic markers can also resolve taxonomic questions to determine appropriate conservation prescriptions ( Gordon and Kubisiak 1998 ). Molecular genetic markers may directly enhance traditional breeding. Statistical associations between markers and genes can be made for traits of interest. Subsequently, the presence or absence of markers can indicate the presence or absence of the desired gene. Using markers to guide selection and breeding in traditional tree-breeding programs is termed M S ( Williams and Neale 1992 ). lthough the concept is straightforward, the application of M S is problematical and is not routinely applied in forestry because t...