Congratulations to Mmoledi Mphahlele on successfully completing his PhD and presenting his prestige seminar “Genomic breeding for accelerated improvement of growth, wood properties and plant defence in Eucalyptus grandis” on 6 July. This project was completed under the supervision of Prof. Zander Myburg and co-supervisors Prof. Fikret Isik and Prof. Gary Hodge both of the North Carolina State University in the USA. His external examiners were Prof. Harry Wu, Umeå Plant Science Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Science, Dr Jaroslav Klapste, New Zealand Forest Research Institute Ltd (Scion), and Dr David Cros of Cirad Bios, France.

Mmmoledi is the first PhD molecular tree breeder trained through the Forest Molecular Genetics (FMG) Programme in FABI. He completed his PhD project while employed as a tree breeder in Mondi and is now the Tree Breeding Programme Manager in Mondi.

This study investigated the practical application of genomic breeding approaches to amend or complement traditional tree breeding approaches for Eucalyptus grandis, a pivotal tree species for plantation forestry and hybrid breeding in South Africa. In the study, the utility of genomic breeding in forest tree improvement was demonstrated in the form of improved genetic gains per unit time for growth and wood quality traits, as well as the simultaneous, multivariate improvement of growth and tolerance to pest and pathogen challenges. The potential for accelerated gains was further interrogated based on combining genomic selection (GS) with early floral induction in non-precocious Eucalyptus species. Flexible breeding designs leveraging reduced breeding cycle times and cost-effective genotyping platforms are essential for realising the benefits of genome-assisted breeding in fast-growing eucalypt tree crops.