QTL analyses of drought tolerance in Eucalyptus under two contrasting water regimes

Background Drought stress is one of the most important abiotic factors in Eucalyptus sp. plantations which influences the growth and limits productivity in cultivated areas, mainly in central, northern and northeastern areas in Brazil, where large parts of these areas have limitations on water supply. The breeders are now looking for tolerant genotypes to overcome this challenge and the QTL mapping approach will help to understand the genetic control of drought tolerance. The objective of this study was to identify genetic loci controlling the phenotypic variation in drought tolerance in a Eucalytpus segregant progeny grown under drought and irrigation conditions.