Genetic analysis of lodgepole pine ( Pinus contorta) solid-wood quality traits

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Forest Research
• Main Authors: Hayatgheibi, Haleh, Fries, Anders, Kroon, Johan, Wu, Harry X.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 2017
• Subjects: Northern Sweden
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjfr-2017-0152; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/full-xml/10.1139/cjfr-2017-0152; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/cjfr-2017-0152

Potential improvement of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud. var. latifolia Engelm.) solid-wood properties was examined by estimating age trends of inheritance, age–age genetic correlations, and the efficiency of early selection using 823 increment cores sampled from 207 half-sib families at two independent progeny trials, aged 34–35 years, located in northern Sweden. High-resolution radial variation of annual ring width, wood density, microfibril angle (MFA), and modulus of elasticity (clearwood stiffness; MOE S ) was measured using SilviScan. The dynamic stiffness (MOE tof ) of standing trees was also obtained using Hitman ST300. Heritabilities ranged from 0.10 to 0.64 for growth and earlywood, transition-wood, and latewood proportions, from 0.29 to 0.77 for density traits, and from 0.13 to 0.33 for MFA and stiffness traits. Genetic correlations between early age and the reference age (26 years) suggested that early selection is efficient at age 4 years for MFA and between ages 5 to 8 years for density and MOE S . Unfavorable diameter–stiffness genetic correlations and correlated responses indicate that breeding for a 1% increase in diameter would confer 5.5% and 2.3% decreases in lodgepole pine MOE S and MOE tof , respectively. Index selection with appropriate economical weights for growth and wood stiffness is highly recommended for selective breeding.