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Advances in Forest Tree Genetics and Breeding—2nd Edition
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Advances in Forest Tree Genetics and Breeding—2nd Edition

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Genetics, Genomics and Biotechnology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2026) | Viewed by 2494

Editors

Prof. Dr. Xiaohua Su

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding and Cultivation of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
Interests: common research fields in forest trees; conventional breeding; breeding strategy; genetic engineering/genome editing; marker-assisted breeding
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Yanguang Chu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding and Cultivation of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
Interests: genomics; genetic regulation; natural variation; marker-assisted breeding in forest trees
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Forest trees are important resources that possess multiple values in ecological balance and economic development. They provide raw materials and products for various industries, such as timber, paper, and furniture, to support local communities. The long-term health of forests needs enhancement through research outputs on forest tree genetics and breeding, aiming to understand the genetic basis of complex traits. This field involves the study of genetic variation, the identification/manipulation of genes or markers, and the development of breeding strategies to improve essential traits. The achievements of such studies are often attributed to the use of modern technologies such as high-throughput sequencing, genome editing, and genome-wide association studies. This Special Issue will present the latest progress in the field of forest tree genetics and breeding, highlighting the potential of these studies in enhancing forest diversity, productivity, and adaptability to changing environments.

Prof. Dr. Xiaohua Su
Dr. Yanguang Chu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • forest tree genetics and breeding
  • complex traits
  • genetic variation
  • genome editing
  • molecular markers
  • breeding strategy

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 2610 KB  
Article
Genetic Evaluation and Selection of Growth Traits of Pinus kesiya var. langbianensis Half-Sib Families
by Xiaoliang Che, Qiang Han, Xia Zhao, Guihua Huang, Xianbang Wang, Jianmin Xu, Yong Yang, Liyong Chen and Yundong Zhang
Plants 2026, 15(13), 2035; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15132035 - 30 Jun 2026
Viewed by 264
Abstract
Pinus kesiya var. langbianensis is a major commercial conifer in subtropical Yunnan, China, yet systematic genetic evaluation of its breeding populations remains scarce. We estimated genetic parameters for growth and stem form (SF) traits to support advanced-generation selection. In a progeny trial of [...] Read more.
Pinus kesiya var. langbianensis is a major commercial conifer in subtropical Yunnan, China, yet systematic genetic evaluation of its breeding populations remains scarce. We estimated genetic parameters for growth and stem form (SF) traits to support advanced-generation selection. In a progeny trial of 113 open-pollinated half-sib families established in 2013 at Pu’er, 2201 surviving trees were assessed at age 11 for height, diameter at breast height (DBH), stem volume, height to crown base (HCB), crown width, and an ordinal SF score. Variance components and breeding values (BVs) were estimated using linear mixed models, with a Bayesian threshold model as a sensitivity analysis for ordinal data. Family-mean heritabilities showed a gradient across growth traits (height 0.14, DBH 0.29, and volume 0.24). Stem volume had the highest genetic coefficient of variation (18.85%), the optimal selection target, whereas HCB lacked detectable genetic variance and SF was weakly controlled (0.09). Phenotypic and BV rankings diverged: although Yunjing Seed Orchard showed the highest phenotypic means, best linear unbiased prediction identified Jinggu Seed Orchard as contributing nine of the top ten families and 26 of the 35 elite individuals. A combined backward–forward strategy, ranking materials by volume BVs under a phenotypic threshold (SF ≥ 7), yielded predicted volume gains of 14.35% (family) and 15.01% (individual), providing a basis for second-cycle breeding pending multi-environment validation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Forest Tree Genetics and Breeding—2nd Edition)
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22 pages, 3226 KB  
Article
Diversity Analysis of Fruit Phenotypic Traits in Camellia reticulata
by Yujia Zeng, Hongxing Xiao, Fujun Yan, Xinran Yang, Xueqin Wu, Yuanyuan Huang, Wei Zheng, Yunlong Wu, Baolin Liang, Zhonglang Wang and Fang Geng
Plants 2026, 15(5), 771; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15050771 - 3 Mar 2026
Viewed by 640
Abstract
Camellia reticulata is a valuable woody species prized for both its ornamental and oil-producing qualities. This study focused on four qualitative traits and nine quantitative traits of the fruits collected from nine wild populations and 30 cultivated varieties of C. reticulata. Multivariate [...] Read more.
Camellia reticulata is a valuable woody species prized for both its ornamental and oil-producing qualities. This study focused on four qualitative traits and nine quantitative traits of the fruits collected from nine wild populations and 30 cultivated varieties of C. reticulata. Multivariate statistical methods were employed to analyze the variation patterns of these fruits among populations and varieties, aiming to provide a scientific basis for the resource utilization and genetic improvement of this species. The results showed that the pericarp color clustered into two series: an orange-yellow (red) series (found in eight populations and all 30 cultivars) and a yellow-green series (unique to the Heiniu Mountain I population). The a* value was identified as the key indicator for distinguishing between these two color-series. The fruit shape was predominantly spherical, the seed shape was mostly hemispherical, and the seed coat color was primarily brown. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed among the nine quantitative phenotypic traits. Fruit weight exhibited the greatest variation (ranging from 28.499 g to 149.068 g), with particularly prominent differences among populations (Fengqing I was the heaviest at 149.068 g, while Yongping I was the lightest at 28.499 g). The coefficients of variation (CV) for phenotypic traits within populations ranged from 17.209% to 60.803% (mean 31.655%), and within varieties from 13.951% to 72.911% (mean 35.290%). Based on CV weights, seed weight showed the largest variation amplitude (21.342%) among populations, while seed number showed the largest variation amplitude (22.956%) among varieties. Correlation analysis revealed that all nine traits exhibited highly significant correlations across different populations and cultivars. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that the eigenvalues of the first two principal components were both greater than 1.00, with cumulative contribution rates reaching 73.570% for populations and 76.064% for cultivars, respectively. Cluster analysis grouped the studied materials into three clusters. The comprehensive evaluation identified the cultivar ‘Lichan’ as having the optimal performance (F = 2.410). Box plots revealed greater dispersion in seed number and pericarp thickness within wild populations, while cultivated varieties showed a wider distribution in locule number and fruit transverse diameter. Frequency distribution analysis demonstrated that all traits followed a normal distribution (R2 = 0.673~0.999). Among them, fresh seed weight and fruit transverse diameter displayed obvious skewness. Furthermore, the variation in seed number was significantly higher in wild populations than in cultivars. This study reveals rich phenotypic variation in fruit traits between wild populations and cultivated groups of C. reticulata, with fruit size and seed number identified as key traits. These findings provide an important basis for the subsequent selection of hybrid parents and breeding of high-yield, high-oil varieties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Forest Tree Genetics and Breeding—2nd Edition)
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12 pages, 2670 KB  
Article
Evaluating Growth and Stability of Nine Poplar Clones for Riparian Afforestation
by Jihyeon Jeon, Hyemin Lim, Kyungmi Lee, Eun Woon Noh, Il Hwan Lee, Wi Young Lee, Yeong Bon Koo and Kyunghwan Jang
Plants 2025, 14(16), 2482; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14162482 - 10 Aug 2025
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1046
Abstract
Poplar (Populus) clones are widely used for riparian afforestation owing to their fast growth and ecological benefits. However, selecting suitable clones for site-specific conditions remains a key challenge. In this study, we evaluated the survival and growth performance of nine poplar [...] Read more.
Poplar (Populus) clones are widely used for riparian afforestation owing to their fast growth and ecological benefits. However, selecting suitable clones for site-specific conditions remains a key challenge. In this study, we evaluated the survival and growth performance of nine poplar clones belonging to three hybrid groups—Populus deltoides (D), P. deltoides × P. nigra (DN), and P. nigra × P. suaveolens (NS)—at two riparian sites in Korea. Significant differences were observed in the survival, height, diameter, basal area, and basal area increment (BAI) among clones and between sites. DN hybrids exhibited superior overall performance in both survival and growth traits compared to D and NS clones. In the DN group, clones Eco-28, I-476, and Dorskamp consistently ranked highest in aggregate performance. Notably, I-476 and Eco-28 demonstrated both high productivity and stability across sites, as reflected in their low coefficients of variation (CVs). In contrast, Dorskamp, while highly productive, showed relatively high variability across environments. These findings highlight DN hybrids—particularly Eco-28 and I-476—as promising candidates for riparian afforestation, offering a balanced combination of high productivity and environmental stability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Forest Tree Genetics and Breeding—2nd Edition)
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