Molecular Discrimination of Eucalypt Clones Using the ISSR Marker System

Abstract

Clonal forestry captures genetic gain generated by skillful selection and is now well recognized as a method for mass production of desired trees to obtain increased economic benefits. In Eucalyptus, clonal plantations have enhanced the productivity twofold, compared to plantations of unimproved seed origin. The present investigation was carried out to assess the genetic relationship of 41 eucalypt clones using the intersimple sequence repeat (ISSR) marker system. The ISSR-derived dendrogram and principal coordinate analysis (PCA) clustered 39 clones into two groups of E. camaldulensis and E. tereticornis in agreement with their taxonomic classification. Further, a total of three clone specific diagnostic markers and five unique profiles were identified using five ISSR primers. The eucalypt clones analyzed in the present investigations are derived from the breeding populations of both the species and are presently being used for large-scale plantation and hybridization studies. The molecular marker based clonal discrimination can be used to avoid duplication of clones and quality control of planting stock.

[Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Journal of Sustainable Forestry for the following free supplemental resource(s): ISSR Profiles of Eucalyptus Clones]

Keywords:

• clonal identity
• diagnostic marker
• dendrogram
• genetic diversity
• ISSR
• PCA

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Dr. Mohan Varghese and Dr. V. Sivakumar, scientists at the Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding for providing the plant materials; and the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India, for the financial support.