In recent years, forests have been exposed to an unprecedented rise in pests and pathogens. This, coupled with the added challenge of climate change, renders forest plantation stock vulnerable to attack and severely limits productivity. Genotypes resistant to such biotic challenges are desired in plantation forestry to reduce losses. Conventional breeding has been a main avenue to obtain resistant genotypes. More recently, genetic engineering has become a viable approach to develop resistance against pests and pathogens in forest trees. Tree genomic resources have contributed to advancements in both these approaches. Genome-wide association studies and genomic selection in tree populations have accelerated breeding tools while integration of various levels of omics information facilitates the selection of candidate genes for genetic engineering. Furthermore, tree associations with non-pathogenic endophytic and subterranean microbes play a critical role in plant health and may be engineered in forest trees to improve resistance in the future. We look at recent studies in forest trees describing defense mechanisms using such approaches and propose the way forward to developing superior genotypes with enhanced resistance against biotic stress.The Department of Science and Technology
grant for Forest Genomics and Biotechnology, the South African
National Research Foundation Grant for Y-rated researchers
(UID105767) Incentive funding for rated researchers (UID95807)
and Technology and Human Resources for Industry Programme
(THRIP, Grant ID 96413)as well as the Australian
Research Council (DP160102684).http://www.frontiersin.org/Plant_Scienceam2020Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI)GeneticsMicrobiology and Plant Patholog
