Advances in Dendrobium molecular research: Applications in genetic variation, identification and breeding

• Dendrobium (Orchidaceae) has medicinally and ornamentally important members.
• This review focuses on the main molecular techniques used in 121 published studies.
• Molecular applications in identification and breeding are reviewed.
• This serves as a valuable reference data-base for future studies.
• Broader communication platform constructed for Dendrobium researchers and enthusiasts.

Orchids of the genus Dendrobium are of great economic importance in global horticultural trade and in Asian traditional medicine. For both areas, research yielding solid information on taxonomy, phylogeny, and breeding of this genus are essential. Traditional morphological and cytological characterization are used in combination with molecular results in classification and identification. Markers may be useful when used alone but are not always reliable in identification. The number of species studied and identified by molecular markers is small at present. Conventional breeding methods are time-consuming and laborious. In the past two decades, promising advances have been made in taxonomy, phylogeny and breeding of Dendrobium species due to the intensive use of molecular markers. In this review, we focus on the main molecular techniques used in 121 published studies and discuss their importance and possibilities in speeding up the breeding of new cultivars and hybrids.

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