Eucalypt Domestication and Breeding

Fast-growing eucalypts help to meet the demand for wood throughout the warmer parts of the world. They are grown in numberous small woods and windbreaks to produce poles and firewood, and in extensive plantations mainly for the pulp and paper industries. This book shows how to breed improved eucalypts that will provide more and better wood on appropriate sites selected through sound land use planning. The emphasis is on making greater use of the immense richness of the genetic resources of the eucalypts, especially in the first generation or two of domestication `wild' eucalypts for wood production. The book covers those aspects of variation, selection, and reproduction that are unique to eucalypts. Large gains in production and quality can be obtained relatively cheaply by choosing the best geographic seed sources (provenances). Once suitable base populations have been assembled, continued long-term genetic gain can be assured through well-planned recurrent selection and mating. This book is essential reading for practising foresters managing eucalypt plantations, and will also be of great interest to planners and administrators in aid agencies.