Genetics of wood quality attributes in Western Larch

Context

Wood quality traits are important to balance the negative decline of wood quality associated with selection for growth attributes in gymnosperm breeding programs. Obtaining wood quality estimates quickly is crucial for successful incorporation in breeding programs.

Aims

The aims of this paper are to: (1) Estimate genetic and phenotypic correlations between growth and wood quality attributes, (2) Estimate heritability of the studied traits, and (3) Assess the accuracy of in situ non-destructive tools as a representative of actual wood density.

Methods

Wood density (X-ray densitometry), tree height, diameter, volume, resistance drilling, acoustic velocity, and dynamic modulus of elasticity were estimated, along with their genetic parameters, for 1,200, 20-year-old trees from 25 open-pollinated families.

Results

Individual tree level heritabilities for non-destructive evaluation attributes were moderate ( $ {\widehat{h}}_i^2=0.37-0.42 $ ), wood density and growth traits were lower ( $ {\widehat{h}}_i^2=0.23-0.35 $ ). Favorable genetic and phenotypic correlations between growth traits, wood density, and non-destructive evaluation traits were observed. A perfect genetic correlation was found between resistance drilling and wood density (r _G ?=?1.00?±?0.07), while acoustic velocity and dynamic modulus of elasticity showed weaker genetic correlations with wood density (r _G ?=?0.25?±?0.24;?0.46?±?0.21, respectively).

Conclusion

This study confirmed that resistance drilling is a reliable predictor of wood density in western larch, while the weak genetic correlations displayed by acoustic velocity and dynamic modulus of elasticity suggest limited dependability for their use as fast in situ wood density assessment methods in this species.     

A method for the protection of spruce stands againstIps typographus by the use of barriers of pheromone traps in north-eastern Slovakia

A method and layout of various systems of barriers of pheromone traps is described. The rationale of the method is based on the stress of spruce and the chemical communication ofIps typographus. Various systems of pheromone trap barriers were used according to the required level of protection. The method was used in two areas affected by air pollution and bark beetle outbreak. The first area was in an unnatural spruce monoculture region while the second was in a National Park. The described method led to a significant reduction of bark beetle attacks on trees along forest edges and subsequently to the stopping of movement of the zone of attacked trees due to bark beetle damage. In the case of forest stands with no reduced canopy closure, the reduction of attacks led to a dramatic decline of bark beetle outbreak. On the other hand, this method was not able to reduce the level of bark beetle attack in the interior of forest stands with a decreased level of canopy closure. This method, as part of differentiated pest management measures in one forest district, was successful without any other protection measures in the condition of natural reserves in a spruce vegetation zone.     

Reduction of herbivore density as a tool for reduction of herbivore browsing on palatable tree species

Browsing of overabundant free-living herbivores often limits the natural as well as artificial regeneration of forest in Central-European Mountains. The aim of the study was to assess the efficiency of the extensive reductions of herbivore populations for protection of forest regeneration in preferred areas. We analysed the relationship between the intensity of shoot browsing and relative density of herbivores in viewpoint of natural regeneration of secondary mountain spruce stands with low proportion of broadleaved trees in Králicky Sněžník Reserve (Czech Republic). The distribution of seasonally migrating herbivores was established by counting faecal pellet groups (standing crop method) in growing season. The intensity of browsing of spruce, beech and rowan was assessed using the proportion of browsed shoots on individual tree sapling. Density of red deer was re-counted from the number of pellet groups and it was 15–56 individual/km². The intensity of spruce browsing was low in the whole area in all seasons. In general, the intensity of rowan and beech shoot browsing was high in the whole area. There were no correlations between deer density and browsing intensity of rowan (browsing was severe in all plots). We conclude that the natural regeneration of attractive trees and shrubs is nearly impossible in habitats where proportion of these food items is too small, even when the density of herbivores is low. Reduction of herbivores density is useful for protecting spruce and other tree species with low preference by herbivores. Forest managers should take into account the high palatability of deciduous tree species and distribution of herbivores on localities. Preference of localities is often based on grasses in the food supply. Regeneration of highly palatable tree species requires both low density of herbivores and sufficient protection of saplings.     

Efficiency of early selection for rotation-aged wood quality traits in radiata pine

A total of 360 bark-to-bark-through-pith wood strips were sampled at breast height from 180 trees in 30 open-pollinated families from two rotation-aged genetic trials to study inheritance, age-age genetic correlation, and early selection efficiency for wood quality traits in radiata pine. Wood strips were evaluated by SilviScan® and annual pattern and genetic parameters for growth, wood density, microfibril angle (MFA), and stiffness (modulus of elasticity: MOE) for early to rotation ages were estimated. Annual ring growth was the largest between ages 2–5 years from pith, and decreased linearly to ages 9–10. Annual growth was similar and consistent at later ages. Wood density was the lowest near the pith, increased steadily to age 11–15 years, then was relatively stable after these ages. MFA was highest (35°) near the pith and reduced to about 10° at age 10–15 years. MFA was almost unchanged at later ages. MOE increased from about 2.5 GPa near the pith to about 20 GPa at ages 11–15 years. MOE was relatively unchanged at later ages. Wood density and MOE were inversely related to MFA. Heritability increased from zero near the pith and stabilised at ages 4 or 5 for all four growth and wood quality traits (DBH, density, MFA and MOE). Across age classes, heritability was the highest for area-weighted density and MFA, lowest for DBH, and intermediate for MOE. Age-age genetic correlations were high for the four traits studied. The genetic correlation reached 0.8 after age 7 for most traits. Early selection for density, MFA and MOE were very effective. Selection at age 7–8 has similar effectiveness as selection conducted at rotation age for MFA and MOE and at least 80% effective for wood density.     

鲜食糯玉米农艺性状与鲜穗产量的灰色关联度分析

以正在参加黄淮海国家糯玉米区域试验的19个新品种为材料，利用灰色关联度分析方法，对11个农艺性状与鲜穗产量进行了关联度分析。结果表明，糯玉米农艺性状与产量关联度的大小依次为穗粗﹥穗行数﹥穗长﹥株高﹥收获期﹥行粒数﹥轴粗﹥穗位高﹥鲜百粒重﹥鲜出籽率﹥秃尖长。穗粗、穗行数、穗长、株高是影响糯玉米鲜穗产量的主要因素，而鲜穗百粒重、鲜出籽率、秃尖长度对产量影响则较小。但影响鲜穗产量的主要因素在不同产量水平品种中存在一定差异     

Modified complementation test of male sterility mutants in pepper (Capsicum annuum L.): preliminary study to convert male sterility system from GMS to CMS

The male sterility system in hybrid seed production can eliminate the cost of emasculation and ensure seed hybridity through avoidance of self pollination. GMS and CMS are two types of male sterility system that currently employed in pepper breeding. Conversion from GMS to CMS will increase the male sterility proportion of female parent from 50 to 100%. In this study, segregation analysis of four male sterile mutants consisting of one CMS mutant (CA1) and three GMS mutants (GA1, GA3 and GA4) showed that each had single recessive gene inheritance. A modified complementation test was performed by replacing male sterile mutants with their maintainer line as male parent. The nuclear restorer gene for CMS was independent of all nuclear restorer genes for GMS and all nuclear restorer genes for GMS were independent each other. Further observation on CMS and GMS male sterility loci revealed that GA1 and GA3 had mutated in both nuclear restorer genes for CMS and GMS, while CA1 and GA4 each carried mutation in single male sterility system of nuclear restorer gene for CMS and GMS, respectively. Conversion from GMS to CMS in the case of lines carried mutations in both sterility systems required only S-type cytoplasm donor, while lines carried mutation in single nuclear restorer gene for GMS required not only S-type cytoplasm but also rf allele donors. The important finding is the broader function of maintainer line in certain male sterility system that can be used as a maintainer or restorer line for other male sterility systems. We also confirmed that line CC1 is the general restorer for both CMS and GMS systems.     

Systemic View on Heading and Overwintering: Are They Always Opposed?

The study investigated the cultivars of non‐obligatorily requiring vernalization plant Festulolium braunii and assessed the influence of non‐hardy reproductive and hardy vegetative structures on overwintering effect. The study was conducted taking into account systemic relations between these types of structures. The results show the cultivars differ according to the percentage of headed and overwintered plants, when the cultivars with the most abundant heading – ‘Felopa’ and ‘Sulino’ – are also better at overwintering. The positive correlation between heading and overwintering characteristics was also observed, what seemed to be a rather new finding. It can be explained by systemic effect: non‐hardy later reproductive structures induce the post‐generative regrowth of vegetative shoots, which during shorter days halt development and become potentially hardy. More detailed interpretation is also provided including discussion of causal mechanisms of the detected phenomenon. The authors suppose that these mechanisms constitute a survival strategy for such perennial plants. The observed late heading which represents reproductive structures could be applied in plant breeding as a marker of winter‐hardiness among perennial grass plants which non‐obligatorily demand vernalization.     

Regional Contamination of Moravia (South-Eastern Czech Republic): Temporal Shift of Pb and Zn Loading in Fluvial Sediments

Regional contamination by Pb and Zn in southern Moravia (south-east part of the Czech Republic) in the twentieth century was analysed in Brno Dam lake sediments and in floodplain sediments of the Morava River near Strážnice. The age model for the Brno Dam lake sediments has been obtained by ¹³⁷Cs (maxima corresponding to the nuclear tests in atmosphere and the 1986 Chernobyl accident) and the construction of the dam (1940); the time constraints for the Morava River sediments was the erection of flood defences (1930s) and ²¹⁰Pb dating. In the case of floodplain sediments, profiles exhibiting post-depositional mobilisation of heavy metals by pedogenic processes (gleying) must be excluded to reconstruct the history of contamination. There was a relatively fast joint onset of Pb and Zn load since the early stages of industrialisation in the first half of the twentieth century, but then the concentrations of these two metals developed in a different manner. Pb load only slightly increased till its peak in 1960s and 1970s. The increase of Zn load was rather stepwise: Soon before 1930s (Morava River floodplain) and in 1940s and 1950s (in Brno Lake), the relative contamination by Zn was much lower than during its peak in the 1970s to the present days. The offset of Pb and Zn contamination curves could have been caused by three different artificial sources of these heavy metals. The temporal shift of Pb and Zn loads can be used for dating sediments.     

Leaf and stem rust resistance of hexaploid wheat cultivars salzmünder bartweizen and weique

Summary Wheat cultivars Salzmünder Bartweizen and Weique gave a similar pattern of reaction type when tested with 27 different races of stem rust and 17 races of leaf rust from Canada and Czechoslovakia. Both cultivars were resistant to all races of stem rust and most of the races of leaf rust. Genetic studies indicated that the two varieties have the same genes for rust resistance, with the genes for leaf and stem rust being closely linked.Transmission of the genes for rust resistance was irregular and appeared to be associated with meiotic irregularities in chromosome pairing. In all F₂ populations which deviated significantly from a 3:1 ratio, a deficiency of resistant plants was noted. The greatest deficiency was in the F₂ of crosses involving Salzmünder Bartweizen, of which the F₁ hybrid also had the greatest meiotic irregularities.Chimeral plants, of which the longitudinal half of the leaf showed a resistant reaction and the other half a susceptible reaction, were observed in crosses with Salzmünder Bartweizen.     

A comparative physiologico-genetical study of activities of some enzymes in a heterotic single cross hybrid of maize (Zea mays L.)

Summary In field trials conducted over three growth seasons I studied the differences in activities of the enzymes: polyphenoloxidase, ascorbateoxidase and peroxidase, with a heterotic single-cross hybrid of maize and its pollen-sterile analogue. Additional observations were made for differences between the single-cross hybrids and their parental lines. The samples (staminate spikelets) were taken at random just before and after tasselling. Significant differences could be established concerning the object set. Comparison of the self-pollinating line of maize with the pollen-sterile analogue revealed the down ward trend in peroxidase (P) activity with the pollen-sterile line; the upward trend in polyphenoloxidase (PPO) activity and the downward trend in ascorbateoxidase (A) activity were observed with the pollen-sterile line before tasselling. After tasselling, activity of PPO showed a downward and that of A an upward trend. The single-crospollen-sterile hybrid revealed, compared to the parental lines, an upward trend in its PPO and A activities before tasselling and a downward trend in the same enzymes after tasselling; while activity of P in this single-cross, pollen-sterile hybrid indicated the downward trend in general. Compared with the parental forms, the pollen-fertile hybrid of maize showed a trend towards lower activities of the studied enzymes for all seasons and periods under observation. Comparing results in the single-cross hybrids there was an indication of higher activities of PPO and A in the pollen-sterile analogue; whereas the same analogue revealed a lower activity of P before tasselling and higher value after tasselling.