Identification of ISSR markers linked to flowering traits in a representative sample of Eucalyptus cladocalyx

• Published in: Journal of forestry research 2016-04, Vol.27 (2), p.239-245
• Main Authors: Contreras-Soto, Rodrigo, Ballesta, Paulina, Ruiz, Eduardo, Mora, Freddy
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis; Biomedical and Life Sciences; ecosystems; Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid; Eucalyptus; farmers; flowering; Flowers; Forestry; honey; income; ISSR; kinship; Life Sciences; linear models; loci; marker-assisted selection; microsatellite repeats; nectar; Original Paper; phenotypic variation; provenance; trees; 开花性状; 标记辅助选择; 标记鉴定; 样本; 桉树; 简单重复序列; 线性混合模型
• ISSN: 1007-662X; 1993-0607
• DOI: 10.1007/s11676-015-0149-2

Early flowering and flower abundance have long been considered desirable traits in eucalypt breeding programs. In particular, flowers of Eucalyptus cladocalyx provide a nectar source for the production of honey in arid ecosystems. To identify inter-simple sequence repeat （ISSR） markers that are associated with early flowering and flower abundance in the southern Atacama Desert, we used a sample of 47 trees, representing five Australian prove- nances of E. cladocalyx. A unified mixed linear model （which considered the effect of genetic structure and the kinship relationship among trees） revealed that three loci were significantly associated with early flowering, which accounted for 10-16 % of the phenotypic variation, while two loci accounted for 11-13 % in flowering intensity. Locus ISO1-500 bp was associated with both flowering traits. This result is consistent with our previous findings indicating that marker-assisted selection on early flowering should have significant and positive impact on flowering intensity. The application of marker-assisted selection to identify trees that flower early and intensively may increase honey production, a resource that generates additional income for the local farmers of the southern Atacama Desert.