Resistance breeding against tree pathogens (Chapter 10)

Abstract

Pathogens and pests, native or introduced, can cause high levels of damage and mortality in urban and rural forests. In many cases, little can be done to protect standing trees of the affected species; however, there is a growing recognition that host tree resistance can play a role at countering the long-term impacts of such outbreaks. Leveraging tree resistance for forest health requires a commitment to tree breeding such that resistant genotypes can be identified, propagated, and bred to produce resistant populations for replanting the affected species. Successful resistance breeding programs tend to be results-oriented and organized to deliver resistant populations of seedlings to public and private landowners. Objectives of the initial stages of resistance breeding are to discern whether resistance is present to any degree in the native populations and how it is distributed among these populations across the species’ geographic range. In the follow-up stages, the focus shifts to large-scale screening for resistance to identify and select parents for seed production and next-generation breeding. Examples from several successful programs are provided to give students, managers, and decision-makers background on what to expect in starting up and implementing a resistance breeding program.

Citation

Sniezko, R.A.; Nelson, C.D. 2022. Resistance breeding against tree pathogens (Chapter 10). In: Forest Microbiology, Vol. 2: Forest Tree Health. (Eds) Asiegbu, F.O., Kovalchuk A.; Academic Press, pp. 159-175. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-85042-1.00007-0