Purpose
The project aimed to improve the accuracy and speed of pine breeding by developing tools that allowed breeders to use both genetic and family history data in a single selection process.
Summary
The project took the first important steps to bring genomics into pine breeding in Australia. It started building a new genome, created a dataset to show genetic diversity, introduced the first DNA test for conifers, and set up systems to find and fix errors in family tree records. In building the foundational genomics data set, the project identified over 3000 founder trees contributing genes to the breeding program. The top 200 of these contributed over 85% of genes. A small trial which used a single-step genomic selection in P. radiata showed that using this method to make breeding decisions is possible, even if trial results were limited due to the small sample size. The project also found many errors in family records of trees, which had been built up over 60 years. Overall, the project gave breeders tools to use DNA data in their work and correct past errors, which could improve tree quality by 15–20%.
Benefits to the Forest and Wood Products Industry
- Improved breeding accuracy: Breeders can use genomic data to select trees with better traits, leading to stronger, faster-growing, and more resilient pine varieties.
- Faster breeding cycles: The tools reduce the time needed to identify top-performing trees, helping the industry respond more quickly to market and environmental changes.
- Lower production costs: By streamlining selection and reducing the need for long field trials, the project helps cut costs in tree improvement programs.
Acknowledgement
This work was supported by funding provided to Forest and Wood Products Australia (FWPA) to administer the National Institute for Forest Products Innovation program (NIFPI).
Funding for the program was provided by the Australian Government, the South Australian Government and Australian forest and wood products industry.
