RECENT ADVANCES IN QUANTITATIVE GENETICS OF EUCALYPTUS: IMPLICATIONS FOR BREEDING AND CONSERVATION

Abstract

Eucalyptus quantitative genetics research has shown remarkable growth but faces ongoing complications due to multi-trait optimization and genotype-environment interactions along with natural and cultivated population diversity conservation requirements. The increasing need for sustainable forestry combined with upcoming climate change challenges requires precise and innovative breeding approaches that confront these obstacles. The integration of high-throughput sequencing with genomic selection (GS) and marker-assisted selection (MAS) help accelerate genetic gains and enhance climate resilience in Eucalyptus breeding programs according to this review. Scientists aim to close Eucalyptus' current performance-based gaps between its genetic potential and commercial and ecological requirements by applying new genomic technology platforms and quantitative genetic methods. This review shows how maintaining diversity among breeding targets requires scientists to prioritize wood quality traits and disease resistance together with drought tolerances. The advance of high-throughput sequencing methods and their application in SNP array development (EUChip60K) along with GWAS for complex traits and extended use of transcriptomics to understand stress responses represent major breakthroughs. The accuracy rate for GS predictions exceeds 0.7 for lignin content assessment and allows shorter breeding cycles and MAS helps discover QTLs for disease resistance along with wood quality. Genomic research has helped conservation scientists locate adaptive genetic markers which guide them in developing approaches to safeguard population genetic diversity under climate stress. Research findings demonstrate how various multi-omics datasets when paired with advanced phenotyping approaches together with AI-based predictive tools boost precision breeding and conservation success rates. Through the application of emerging technologies and the resolution of existing challenges quantitative genetics will preserve Eucalyptus as a fundamental element of sustainable forestry along with ecological resilience during global environmental transformations.