Cedrela odorata L.: opportunities for its conservation and genetic improvement

Abstract

Cedrela odorata, commonly known as Spanish cedar, is a tropical forest species of high commercial value on the international timber market. Habitat fragmentation and illegal logging with dysgenic selection cause the genetic erosion of its natural populations, reducing its adaptive and productive potential. Therefore, it is increasingly susceptible to damage by abiotic and biotic factors such as Hypsipyla grandella, its main insect pest and the leading cause of low yield in commercial plantations. Spanish cedar is included in the lists of international organizations such as IUCN and CITES, and protected by NOM-059 in Mexico. However, because of the lack of convincing supporting evidence, its permanence in the latter is not guaranteed. Although some research has been done in the past – evaluation of its genetic diversity in Central American populations, karyotyping, characterization of its plastome and leaf transcriptome – essential information is still lacking to establish efficient and sustainable management strategies. The aim of this review is to present an overview of the current knowledge of genetic resources of C. odorata in order to identify biotechnological alternatives that would allow a better understanding of this species and substantiate the planning and implementation of tree breeding and long-term conservation programs.