Factor analytic selection tools and environmental feature-integration enable holistic decision-making in Eucalyptus...

Area of Science:

• Forestry Science
• Quantitative Genetics
• Plant Breeding

Background:

• Genotype-by-environment interaction (GEI) is crucial for eucalyptus silviculture expansion in Brazil.
• Traditional selection methods may not fully capture clone performance across varied environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and apply a novel selection index incorporating Factor Analytic Selection Tools (FAST) and clone reliability.
• To identify high-performance and stable eucalyptus clones considering GEI.

Main Methods:

• Utilized FAST across seven trials in five Brazilian states with 78 eucalyptus clones.
• Employed an extended FAST index weighted by clone reliability for clonal selection.
• Integrated factor loadings with 25 environmental features using principal component analysis to understand GEI drivers.

Main Results:

• Selected ten eucalyptus clones demonstrating high performance, stability, and reliability.
• Identified key environmental factors influencing GEI, including air temperature, radiation, and soil characteristics.
• Established a strong association between latent factors derived from FAST and specific environmental features.

Conclusions:

• The developed selection index effectively identifies superior eucalyptus clones for diverse commercial plantation environments.
• Understanding GEI through integrated analysis of genetic factors and environmental variables enhances breeding decision-making.
• This approach provides valuable insights for eucalyptus breeders to optimize clone selection strategies.