Innovation of forest tree improvement to serve the scheme of forest restructuring

Abstract

Forest tree improvement pays an important role in intensive plantations. For many years ago, significant achievements of forest tree improvement in Vietnam were as follow: (1) Some tree species with promising provenances were selected for some main ecologicalregions; (2) Breeding strategy of
each promissing species was set up to improve the MAI of plantations and quality of end products. (3) Breeding populations, seed orchards, seed roduction areas, Hedge orchards and gene banks were established for some
main planting species to supply the high quality seeds for plantation programs and genetic materials for further breeding programs; Application of biotechnology in identify of clone, outcrossing rate, genetic diversity of breeding population and use of DNA maker were implemented; Vegetative propagation by cutting and tisue culturewere successfully studied and then the techniques and original germplasms were transferred to production units. Usefull germplasms were Acacia and Eucalyptus clones and hybrid
clones for low land and highland areas, dry - zone acacias for dry sandy soil, Melaleuca species for waterlogged sulphate acid soils and clones of Pinus merkusii with high resin yield.
However forest tree improvement still did not meet the large requirement from production units, such as few approved germplasms tranferred to production units and lack of propagation populations and management of germplasms in provincial level. To serve the Scheme of Forest Restructuring, the forest tree improvement must implement as a linkage
model including quantitative genetics, molarcular genetics, wood science, silviculture and tree pathology. Priorities of breakthrough researchs should be focused on selection, directional pollination, creation of polyploid and trippoid germplasms of main planting species, selection of suitable
germplasms for each major areas and end - use products, and harsh environment and disease resistance. Results from researchs will be transferred as soon as possible bycooperating with forest extention services. Application of new technologies, such as DNA marker, gene
transfer, creation of artificial embryos, stimulation of early flowering and mini - cutting, will encourage for increase of breeding effect and to shorten breeding cycles. Estabilishment of high quality seed production areas, seed orchards, hedge orchards, seed store and gene bank in major areas of
plantations will be implemented in next few years for increase of supply of good seeds and germplasms to production units, research, gene conservation as well as international exchange of genetic materials.