Jie Huang , Xiazhen Huang , Meifang Li

Tropical Medicinal Plant Research Center, Hainan Institute of Tropical Agricultural Resources, Sanya, 572025, Hainan, China
Author    Correspondence author
Tree Genetics and Molecular Breeding, 2024, Vol. 14, No. 6   
Received: 11 Oct., 2024    Accepted: 18 Nov., 2024    Published: 25 Nov., 2024

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

This study reviews the significance and potential utilization of wild tea species in tea breeding programs. Wild tea species provide rich genetic diversity that supports the genetic improvement of cultivated tea. These wild relatives possess critical traits such as resistance to pests and diseases, tolerance to abiotic stresses, and quality enhancement, which are key to improving tea yield, quality, and adaptability to environmental changes. The study also explores the application of modern breeding technologies, including genome sequencing, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and marker-assisted selection (MAS), as well as strategies for balancing the development and conservation of wild tea species. Future research and international collaboration will enhance the efficient utilization of wild tea resources, thereby promoting the sustainable development of the tea industry.

Wild tea species; Genetic diversity; Tea breeding; Pest and disease resistance; Abiotic stress tolerance