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The genus Santalum includes species which are highly valued for its aromatic essential oil and is an integral part of several religion and culture across the world. The essential oil isolated from the heartwood is predominantly used in the cosmetic and perfume industries for its fragrance and fixative properties. Additionally, it also has significant pharmacological applications. S. album popularly known as Indian sandalwood is indigenous to India, Australia, and Indonesia and has the highest oil content in comparison to other Santalum species and hence has a high market demand. This economic relevance of the species has resulted in overharvest in its natural range and depletion of the valuable gene pool. Further, the situation is compounded by habitat loss, recurrent fires, slow natural regeneration, low recruitment, and biotic pressures from pest and sandal spike disease. Sandalwood research in India is more than 140 years old and the first tree improvement was initiated in 1977–1978 with focus on selecting disease and pest-free phenotypes with high heartwood and oil content. In spite of more than four decades of research, limited information could be generated from these programs. Hence, keeping in pace with the tremendous market demand, it is imperative to implement a structured long-term breeding program for developing genetically improved planting material through repeated cycles of selection, breeding, and genetic testing to enhance productivity. S. album is one of the few tropical species where enormous genomic data have been generated including chromosome-level assemblies and transcriptomes to understand the essential oil pathway. Presently, with the availability of genome-wide markers, understanding on molecular regulation of secondary metabolite pathway, nondestructive method to estimate heartwood content in standing trees, and availability of even-aged plantations, integration of genomic selection strategy into the ongoing and future breeding program can facilitate estimation of genomic breeding values of non-phenotyped seedlings and selection of suitable sandalwood genotypes for plantation programs to ensure predictable yield of essential oil.

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Accelerating Sandalwood Breeding Program by Integrating Genomic Selection Strategy: Prospects and Challenges

  • 章节

  • 发表日期：

    2025年

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  • Modhumita Ghosh Dasgupta

摘要

The genus Santalum includes species which are highly valued for its aromatic essential oil and is an integral part of several religion and culture across the world. The essential oil isolated from the heartwood is predominantly used in the cosmetic and perfume industries for its fragrance and fixative properties. Additionally, it also has significant pharmacological applications. S. album popularly known as Indian sandalwood is indigenous to India, Australia, and Indonesia and has the highest oil content in comparison to other Santalum species and hence has a high market demand. This economic relevance of the species has resulted in overharvest in its natural range and depletion of the valuable gene pool. Further, the situation is compounded by habitat loss, recurrent fires, slow natural regeneration, low recruitment, and biotic pressures from pest and sandal spike disease. Sandalwood research in India is more than 140 years old and the first tree improvement was initiated in 1977–1978 with focus on selecting disease and pest-free phenotypes with high heartwood and oil content. In spite of more than four decades of research, limited information could be generated from these programs. Hence, keeping in pace with the tremendous market demand, it is imperative to implement a structured long-term breeding program for developing genetically improved planting material through repeated cycles of selection, breeding, and genetic testing to enhance productivity. S. album is one of the few tropical species where enormous genomic data have been generated including chromosome-level assemblies and transcriptomes to understand the essential oil pathway. Presently, with the availability of genome-wide markers, understanding on molecular regulation of secondary metabolite pathway, nondestructive method to estimate heartwood content in standing trees, and availability of even-aged plantations, integration of genomic selection strategy into the ongoing and future breeding program can facilitate estimation of genomic breeding values of non-phenotyped seedlings and selection of suitable sandalwood genotypes for plantation programs to ensure predictable yield of essential oil.