ADVANCES IN GENETIC IMPROVEMENT OF TEAOIL CAMELLIA

The efforts to genetically improve teaoil camellia, Camellia oleifera Abel, started more than two thousand years ago when forest dwellers chose to use seeds to extract table oil and later selectively planted teaoil camellia trees.
Since the 1970s, China has sponsored many national-level projects on genetics studies and selective breeding of this taxon.
So far, over 200 superior cultivars, families, clones, and hybrids have been selected, and those varieties have markedly improved the productivity of teaoil by renovation of low-yielding plantations and application of superior new varieties.
The analysis of present production status and the situation of genetic improvement in teaoil indicate that mutation breeding and biotechnological improvement should be emphasized based on conventional breeding methods.
Rich germplasm resources should benefit a molecular breeding program.

XXVII International Horticultural Congress – IHC2006: International Symposium on Asian Plants with Unique Horticultural Potential

Riqing Zhang, Zhilei Ding, Xu Zhang, Xiaoling Jin, Jiangfan Yu, Li Wen, Donglin Zhang

conventional breeding, genetic improvement, germplasm resource, new technology breeding, teaoil camellia

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2008.769.2