Genomic breeding of Norway spruce for new bio-products
- Reference number
- RBP14-0040
- Start and end dates
- 150101-210630
- Amount granted
- 31 971 772 SEK
- Administrative organization
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Research area
- Life Sciences
Summary
The project aims to create new tree feedstock for production of new bio-based products through genomic based breeding for Norway spruce. The genome-wide association study and genomic selection will be implemented to create new trees in a shortest time that efficiently produce new bio-products and possess a great adaptation to climate changes and strong resistance to fungus Heterobasidion spp. The new bio-product traits targeted are energy related heat value, biofuel content, lignin, cellulose, and semi-cellulose. We will integrate phenomics, genomics and genetics to generate new trees. Firstly genome re-sequencing of diverse 101 trees will be employed to examine variation of whole genome sequence, then proceed to phenotype new bio-product traits and associated adaptive, disease resistance, and solid and pulping traits for Skogforsk’s Norway Spruce breeding population of 5800 trees. Furthermore, we employ genome-wide association study approach to discover the genes that are underlying the genetic variation for these biological traits by genotyping the base population. GWAS discoveries are used to develop new genomic based breeding strategy. Finally, we proceed to apply genomic selection into Sweden’s national Norway spruce breeding program for rapid improvement of new bio-product and associated biological traits. A new generation of trees with highly productivity of new bio-products and highly adaptive will be selected for new forest plantation and for further breeding.
Popular science description
Genomic breeding of Norway spruce for new bio-products The project aims to create new feedstock of tree for production of new bio-based products from Norway spruce. Sweden is a leading international producer and exporter of forest-industry products. Forestry is also the number one export industry with Norway spruce contributing more than 50%. To maintain Sweden’s global competitiveness, technological innovation is critical to lift productivities for existing products and create new products from trees and forests. Genetic improvement has been proved as one of the most effective innovations to create trees for production of new products. However, traditional tree breeding was time-consuming from selecting the best trees, to making crosses, and conducting field testing in many years for selecting the best progenies again for next generation breeding. It takes about 20 years for breeding one generation of Norway spruce with a genetic gain about 1% per year. In this project, we are employing the latest biological advance called genomic selection to select tree in a very early age (young seedling) for breeding. With genomic selection, a time about 10-15 years for field progeny testing will be saved for Norway spruce. Therefore, within a conventional tree breeding time frame of 20 years, we can breed Norway spruce for three times (e.g. three generations). Genetic gain (increase of productivities) per year will be much higher from the shortening of generation time. It was estimated that 100-200% increase of genetic gain is possible using the genomic selection. We are applying this new biotechnology to improve traits for production of new bio-products from tree such as biofuel and chemical products (for clothing and material industry). The new genomic selection can also be applied for rapid improvement of other biological traits such as stem volume, wood stiffness, pulping yield, resistance to frost and diseases. A new generation of trees with highly productive on new and old bio-products and highly adaptive to climate changes will be selected for new forest plantation and for further breeding in Sweden. This project will facilitate the transition from traditional forestry into a new diversified forestry industry in three ways: (1) increase forestry productivity through accelerated breeding, (2) new breeds for new products of bio-energy and biochemical industry, and (3) mitigating climate changes.