In Cirad and the research unit " AGAP ", the two groups EGV (Marc Seguin et al.) and BURST (Pascal Montoro et al.) work on rubber genetics and molecular physiology respectively. Whereas BURST group is related with the IRRDB biotechnology group, EGV is more closely associated with the IRRDB breeding group. The main rubber research activities of EGV group are the development of molecular genetic markers for application to rubber breeding including clonal identification, genetic diversity analysis, and QTL-mapping. QTL-mapping was notably applied to the analysis of genetic determinism of SALB resistance sources in Wickham x Amazonian families (CMB = Cirad-Michelin-Brazil project), and extended to a Wickham x Wickham family for the study of growth, latex production and molar mass distribution of rubber chains in native rubber. In the CMB project, SSH banks were created for the generation of ESTs and candidate gene identification, from which a new series of EST-SSR markers were produced. In Brazil, the CMB project also develops a conventional programme of creation and selection of clones, either productive and tolerant to SALB, or adapted to supoptimal areas. Hevea x Corynespora interactions are studied with view to develop resistance breeding. In partnership with IFC (French Rubber Institute), a collaborative network of Large Scale Clonal Trials (LSCT) was developed for characterizing rubber clones, including the IRCA clones issued from a CNRA-Cirad cooperation in Côte d'Ivoire, thus allowing the up-dating of clonal recommendations in Africa.