Historical overview, recent advances, and future perspectives in rubber tree research

Authors:
  • CLCuili Liang
    Cuili Liang
  • XLXue Li
    Xue Li
  • ZZZixing Zhou
    Zixing Zhou
  • YZYuanyuan Zhang
    Yuanyuan Zhang
  • YFYongjun Fang
    Yongjun Fang
  • XXXiaohu Xiao
    Xiaohu Xiao
  • YZYi Zhang
    Yi Zhang
  • CTChaorong Tang
    Chaorong Tang
Open Access
Publisher website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Natural rubber (NR), derived from the latex of the Para rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis), is an irreplaceable raw material for the tire, medical, and engineering industries. Despite its global economic importance, rubber tree breeding has historically been constrained by a narrow genetic base originating from the 1876 Wickham collection and a prolonged juvenile phase. This review synthesizes historical germplasm conservation efforts—most notably the IRRDB 1981 Amazonian expedition—and over a century of clonal selection that has increased NR yields nearly tenfold. We critically assess recent biotechnological advances, including somatic embryogenesis and Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, highlighting their current bottlenecks and the potential of developmental regulators to overcome recalcitrance. A major focus is the rapid acceleration of genomic resources, tracing the progression from early draft assemblies to recent telomere-to-telomere (T2T) haplotype-resolved genomes and pan-genome analyses. We further summarize quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) that have identified key genes governing growth traits, latex yield, and laticifer differentiation. Finally, we outline future perspectives emphasizing the integration of CRISPR/Cas9-based gene editing with multi-omics-driven genomic selection to drastically shorten breeding cycles. By consolidating these interdisciplinary advancements, this review underscores the transition of rubber tree improvement from traditional selection toward precision molecular breeding, thereby ensuring the sustainable supply of this strategic industrial resource.

This publication has 47 references indexed in Scilit: