Use of SSR-Tools for clone certification in Uruguayan Eucalyptus grandis and Eucalyptus dunnii breeding programs

Background Over the last two decades, commercial plantations in Uruguay have increased exponentially, particularly those destined for pulp and paper industry. Although the about 700,000 ha of commercial plantations of Eucalyptus are a continuous source for the selection of elite genotypes, there is no national registration system for Eucalyptus clones in this country. The traditional procedure of clonal identification accepted by the UPOV (International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants) involves the evaluation of morphological descriptors such as leaf shape, bark texture, fruit shape, etc. [1]. The assessment of these characters varies from one observer to another, potentially leading to ambiguous results [2,3]. This restriction has led countries such as Brazil to include the use of microsatellite markers as additional descriptors, in their legislation. The hypervariability and single inheritance of microsatellite markers provide a powerful clonal characterization system through fingerprinting. The identification of elite clones is nowadays one of the most widely used applications of molecular markers. This could generate a labeling system to follow the material traceability in companies with large-scale production of clonal nurseries. Proper identification makes new clones releasing easier and improves the management of seed orchards and controlled pollination breeding programs [4-6]. The aim of this study was to characterise 24 elite clones of several breeding programs in Uruguay, by the use of microsatellites. This was achieved by verifying the potential for discrimination of these molecular tools by assigning a specific molecular pattern of fingerprinting to each tested clone.