Utilizing forest genetic resources in developing a new variety of Acacia hybrid (Acacia mangium × Acacia auriculiformis) to support the sustainable use of plants in Indonesia

Tree breeding is a good practice in utilizing forest genetic resources to support the sustainable use of forest trees. However, an adverse relationship among desirable traits often occurred that causes the improvement could not be obtained simultaneously. Interspecies hybridization might then be practiced as an alternative technique by exploiting genetic resources into breeding to produce improved stocks of multiple traits suitable for the end-product targeted. This paper presents lessons learned from a study in developing a new variety of Acacia hybrid as an interspecies crossing between Acacia mangium and Acacia auriculiformis as two species having different superiority in growth, wood properties, adaptability, and disease tolerance. Results of the study revealed that the Acacia hybrid could provide better improvement and outperformed single-species breeding. Commonly adverse correlation on some traits could change to be a positive-moderate correlation. In addition, the morphological characteristics of the Acacia hybrid progenies varied that could be used as a genetic base population for other diverse breeding purposes.