Age trends in variance components and heritability of overall wood density, earlywood and latewood density, and latewood proportion
were investigated in 29-year-old trees of 19 full-sib families of hybrid larch (Larix gmelinii var. japonica × Larix kaempferi) F1. The age–age correlation and optimum selection age for these traits were also estimated and genetic and phenotypic correlations
between wood density and radial growth rate were calculated for each growth ring. Intraring wood density data were obtained
using X-ray densitometry. The coefficient of additive genetic variance was stable over all ages, whereas the coefficient of
environmental variances gradually decreased with increasing age, resulting in increases in heritability estimates with age
for overall density. The latewood proportion had the highest heritability estimates at all ages, ranging from 0.44 to 0.66.
Overall density and its various components at 28 years of age showed strong genetic correlations with their respective traits
at all younger ages. Optimum selection ages for the wood density traits ranged from 8 to 14 years, at which point maximum
gain efficiencies per year were obtained. There were negative correlations between wood density and radial growth rate at
early ages, although these relationships tended to be weaker with increasing age. These results suggest that selection at
a young age is effective for wood density, but particular care must be taken in selecting trees with an improved radial growth
rate because rapid growth will result in a low-density wood product, especially in the early growth period. 相似文献
Data from a trial of 36 families at Little Wittenham, North Oxford was used to assess growth traits and stem form in common
ash (Fraxinus excelsior, L.). The trial followed a design described by Barnes (Silv Genet 44(2–3):81–88, 1995) as the Breeding Seedling Orchard (BSO).
The objectives of the study were to determine variation in growth and form traits and estimate genetic parameters of families.
Assessments conducted at 3–8 years for height, diameter at breast height (dbh), straightness and forking showed significant
differences (P < 0.05) among families with Guys (19), Settrington (34), Overbury (23) and Grimthorpe (36) being the best performers while
Coleford (3 and 5) Gwynedd (27) and Bacheiddon (32) were the least performers. At the overall level, the additive genetic
coefficient of variation (CVA) ranged between 10.2 and 12.7% for height and 1.5 and 2.1% for dbh. Height had a high genetic correlation (rg = 0.85) with dbh whilst forking had low correlation (rg = 0.25) with height. Estimates of heritability decreased with age from
= 0.62 at 3 years to = 0.30 at 8 years for height while values for dbh decreased from = 0.48 at 4 years to = 0.27 at 8 years. Some genetic gains are possible despite the low genetic variation among families; height had the greatest
potential of genetic gain (12.5% at 8 years). Results suggest that early selection of superior families of Fraxinus excelsior appears to be feasible and it could be possible to achieve simultaneous improvement in both growth and form. 相似文献
The influence of genetic determination and environment on the variability of secondary resin canal traits was investigated on 15–19-year-old Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) clones grown in Lower Austria (Pressbaum and Ulmerfeld) and southern Sweden (Knutstorp and Hermanstorp). Eleven and 20 clones were present on the two Austrian and the two Swedish sites, respectively. The sites differed in their water availability, as indicated by different annual precipitation and soil type. Resin canal traits measured were the number of epithelial cells per canal, the number of resin canals per unit tangential wood surface area, the mean resin canal area and the total resin canal area per unit tangential wood surface area. The latter three traits are known to be related to the constitutive resin flow of Norway spruce.
Environment had an influence on the variability of resin canal traits but the most important factor for the variability was the tree’s genetic disposition. Within countries, clones from the drier sites (Pressbaum and Hermanstorp) showed significantly smaller resin canals. Trees from Pressbaum also had smaller total resin canal areas than trees from Ulmerfeld. The number of epithelial cells and the number of canals did not differ between sites.
Resin canal traits had wide genetic variation and high broad sense heritabilities (H2), with values between 0.28 and 0.82. Highest heritability values were reached for the number of epithelial cells and the number of canals (H2 > 0.8). Genotypic correlations across trials were high for the resin canal traits and approached 1 in both the Austrian and the Swedish trials, indicating that there was little genotype by environment interaction for these traits and thus the ranking of clones was very similar in the different environments.
The number of epithelial cells, the mean area and the total resin canal area showed either moderately significant positive genotypic correlations with tree growth traits or none at all.
In a breeding context, our results are encouraging and indicate that high constitutive defence potential against bark beetles, such as Ips typographus, is not aligned with low volume growth. But it should be taken into consideration that environment and forestry practices can also have an impact on the resin reservoir provided by the radial resin canals. 相似文献
No information is available on the effects of different biomass yield environments on selection efficiency in switchgrass
(Panicum virgatum L.) breeding improvement. This study was conducted to assess the effects of high- and low-biomass yield environments (HYE
and LYE, respectively) on recurrent selection for general combining ability (RSGCA) in a lowland population of switchgrass
(NL-94). The top 14 of 65 NL-94 C0 parent plants were selected based on biomass yield of half-sib (HS) progeny tested for one post-establishment year under HYE
and LYE conditions. Nine of the 14 C0 parent plants were the same based on HS performance under HYE and LYE. Selected plants were intercrossed to produce NL-94
HYE and NL-94 LYE C1 populations. One hundred and twenty-five HS C1 progeny families (60 NL-94 HYE and 65 NL-94 LYE) were evaluated for biomass yield for 3 years (2002–2004) under HYE and LYE
conditions. The HYE produced about 2.5 times higher biomass yields than the LYE in both C0 and C1 HS progeny tests. Estimated additive genetic variance and predicted gains from selection (ΔG) were high in the C1 populations indicating that RSGCA should achieve higher biomass yields. Mean biomass yields of C1 HS families originating from the LYE protocol were significantly higher than those of families originating from the HYE protocol
in both HYE and LYE performance tests, suggesting greater selection response under LYE in the C0 population. The estimates of narrow-sense heritability (
) and ΔG from the C1 populations indicate that positive response to selection for biomass yield is possible in subsequent cycles of selection
under either HYE or LYE, with a possible small advantage for HYE. 相似文献
A 4-year field study was carried out to determine dry matter and nitrogen accumulation until anthesis and at grain filling period and dry matter translocation and utilization in grain filling of barley. Twenty two-rowed spring barley (Hordeum vulgare ssp. distichum L.) cultivars originated from different countries (Yugoslavia, Germany, Australia, the Czeck Republic, Netherlands, France and USA) were grown during 1995–1998 on a non-calcareous chernozem soil near Novi Sad (45° 20′N, 15° 51′E, 86 m asl). Dry matter and nitrogen accumulation depended on the cultivar and year. In a year with favorable weather conditions, 58% of dry matter was accumulated during pre-anthesis, while in a year with less favorable weather the amount was 48%. In the favorable year 91% and in unfavorable year 65% of nitrogen was accumulated until anthesis. The results indicated that the greater amount of dry matter and nitrogen accumulated before anthesis. Dry matter translocation efficiency depended on the cultivar and ranged from 3 to 16.4%, while the contribution of pre-anthesis assimilates to kernel varied from 4 to 24.2%. Cultivars that have been developed for the growing conditions of the area where the experimental site was located, i.e. adapted ones, did not use pre-anthesis dry matter for grain filling. High positive correlations (P<0.01) were found between biomass at anthesis and biological yield, dry matter translocation efficiency, contribution of translocated dry matter to grain yield, and total plant nitrogen at maturity. Accumulated nitrogen at anthesis was positively correlated (P<0.01) with growing degree–days until anthesis, dry matter at anthesis and dry matter translocation parameters. Heritability for the investigated characters was rather high, over 0.60. 相似文献