Estimation of Clonal Variation in Seed Cone Production Over Time in a Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) Seed Orchard

Abstract

Possibilities for early selection of clones for future seed cone production were studied in a clonal seed orchard of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in northern Sweden over the first 30 years following establishment. The annual data were modelled as series of bivariate analyses. The correlations between cone production of clones in any individual year and that of a previous year, and cumulative cone production over all years were studied. The corresponding multivariate analysis for a full data fit simultaneously was best estimated with a genetic distance-based power model (AR). The genetic (variation among clones) and environmental variation were of the same magnitude. The genetic correlations were larger than the phenotypic correlations and both increased with orchard age. Basing selection of clones on a single observation at an early age to improve future cone production was not effective, but efficiency increased if cumulative cone count over many years was used. Year-to-year genetic correlations indicated that early forecasts by clone of cone production at mature ages are highly uncertain. Reliable predictions (moderate correlations) could be achieved only if based on rather mature grafts, 14 or more years after establishment.

Genetic worth and diversity across 18 years in a Nordmann fir clonal seed orchard

“…Large clonal differences in female and male strobili production were seen within the single years, and for accumulated production across years, as observed in earlier studies for a variety of species and orchards (Nikkanen and Ruotsalainen 2000;Kroon et al 2009). A phenotypic correlation between clonal means of accumulated female and male strobili production was absent, leaving room for some sexual asymmetry, as found for pines (Kang and Lindgren 1998), but in contradiction to findings for Picea abies (Kjaer 1996;Kjaer and Wellendorf 1997).…”

“…The actual time series evaluated comprised the years 1992-2009, thereby starting 24-26 years after grafting. The obtained results therefore purely relate to mature seed orchards, following the definition of Kroon et al (2009), which used a threshold of 20 years for maturity.…”

“…It is also well known among managers of seed orchards that there can be a large year-to-year variation in fertility, a fact which has been scientifically documented for a large number of species since the 1960s. As stated by Kroon et al (2009), rather few studies have followed clone differences in flowering abundance over longer periods of time (e.g. Eriksson et al 1973 (6 years); ElKassaby et al 1989 (8 years)) and, to the authors' knowledge, none for the genus Abies, and in general very few time series include both male and female strobili registrations (Schmidtling 1983;Nikkanen and Ruotsalainen 2000;Choi et al 2004).…”

A clone archive of old Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) trees in the Augustowska Forest

“…2006), a tak¿e przy wydzia³ach leoenych naszych trzech Uniwersytetów (Barzdajn, Raj 2002 a,b). Stosunkowo bogata jest literatura dotycz¹ca plantacji nasiennych, w których gromadzi siê szczepy wyhodowane ze znacznie m³odszych drzew matecznych (Urbañski 1965;Wilczkiewicz 1975;Kociêcki 1988;Matras 1996;Trojakiewicz, Burczyk 2005;Bobriniev, Pak 2007;Barzdajn et al 2009;Kaòák et al 2009;Kroon et al 2009;Šejkina, Lebedeva 2010). Prze¿ywalnooeae szczepów w plantacjach nasiennych sosny zwyczajnej jest stosunkowo wysoka i waha siê w granicach 80-90%.…”

A clone archive of plus trees of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) from the south-west part of Lithuania

“…Dla porównania, prze¿ywalnooeae 10-letnich szczepów wyhodowanych z przesz³o 200-letnich sosen rosn¹cych w polskiej czêoeci Puszczy Augustowskiej wynios³a 86,05% (Korczyk 2012). Wed³ug stosunkowo bogatej literatury dotycz¹cej plantacji nasiennych, w których gromadzi siê szczepy wyhodowane z drzew matecznych w wieku od 90 do 150 lat, prze¿ywalnooeae szczepów sosny zwyczajnej waha siê w granicach 80-90% (Urbañski 1965;Wilczkiewicz 1975;Kociêcki 1988;Matras 1996;Trojakiewicz, Burczyk 2005;Bobriniev, Pak 2007;Barzdajn et al 2009;Kaòák et al 2009;Kroon et al 2009;Šejkina, Lebedeva 2010). Przyczynami tak s³abej prze¿ywal-nooeci sosny z Litwy wydaj¹ siê byae wysokie temperatury i susza w okresie wiosny oraz silne przymrozki wiosenne, które wyst¹pi³y w trzech pierwszych latach po posadzeniu szczepów w archiwum.…”