The Potential of Merbau (Intsia bijuga) Breeding in Industrial Plantation Forest Development in Indonesia

Abstract

Merbau (Intsia bijuga) is one of the economically valuable tree species that is threatened by over-exploitation. Breeding efforts for merbau are still limited compared to other commercial species such as teak and acacia. This article reviews the literature related to the potential of merbau in the development of forest plantations in Indonesia, covering aspects of breeding, genetic diversity, and relevant propagation techniques to improve productivity and the sustainability of high-quality wood resources. The breeding strategies for merbau are specifically outlined to highlight their contribution to improving production efficiency, site adaptability, and resilience to environmental stress, thus strengthening merbau's role as a key species in the development of sustainable forest plantations. Through a systematic review of various studies, this review indicates that the genetic diversity of merbau is relatively high, as demonstrated by heterozygosity values obtained from isoenzyme and Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) marker studies, particularly in Papua and Eastern Halmahera. However, there remains a research gap in optimizing vegetative propagation techniques and long-term genetic testing, which limits the large-scale production and deployment of superior planting materials in industrial plantation forest development. This article presents a breeding scheme for potential sub-line to maintain genetic diversity while enhancing merbau productivity.