Seed set for Scots pine clones is difficult to predict

Seed set for Scots pine clones is difficult to predict

Dag Lindgren1 Yordan Tellalov2 and Finnvid Prescher3

1Department of Forest Genetics and Plant PhysiologySwedish University of Agricultural Sciences

SE-901 83,Umeå, SwedenEmail: [email protected]

2 Department of Dendrology and Forest Tree BreedingThe Czech University of Agricultural Sciences

165 21 Prague, Czechia3 Svenska Skogsplantor AB, Seed production, SE-340 14 Lagan, Sweden

Main problem: Can clones be selected based on predictions of seed set ability? Reply: No

Predictions based on observations in a clone bank and plus trees in forest was compared with performance in seed orchards.

Umeå

Plus treesThe study concerns plus trees from the four northernmost counties (BD, AC, Z and Y).

The first batch of plus trees were selected in natural mature forests 1950-1969 and grafted at Umeå (Sävar).

Cone set of the plus trees was usually commented.

The plus tree W 4009 is the reproductively most successful tree in Sweden and perhaps Europe. It has currently about 70 million offspring in Swedish forests

Sweden with current pine seed orchard zones color-coded .

Figure based on a SkogForsk figureFigure based on SkogForsk photo

Clone bank (clone archive)Clone bank (clone archive)Sävar (close to Umeå). Established 1969-1970

748 clones. 4 grafts per clone in rows. 555 grafts/ha

Cone-set on each ramet was registered 1984. A purpose was to avoid bad cone-producers for seed orchards

The clone bank 2006 How it may have looked 1984

Photo: Yordan TellalovPhoto: Yordan Tellalov

Seed set by clone of northern plus trees was estimated on mature grafts in 7 objects

4 seed orchards – SkaholmaSkaholma, RobertsforsRobertsfors, KlockeKlocke and Sävar SOSävar SO

A clone experiment on three localities – RöskärRöskär, DegebergaDegeberga and SävarSävar

The seed orchard Skaholma, one of the objects where the seed set per clone was estimated.

Photo Dag Lindgren

Object Lat Alt Age Observed clones Correlation Weight B

Seed orchard

m Years Clone bank

Plus trees Archive - object

Skaholma 63o50' 5 43 13 11 0.35 2

Robertsfors 64 o 40 20 30 20 0.22 3

Klocke 62°54' 75 21 12 12 0.06 2

Sävar SO 63º54' 10 30 20 18 -0.21 3

Clone trial A 10 8

Sävar 82 63o54' 10 12 -0.44 0.5

Sävar 93 23 0.10 1

Sävar 04 34 -0.05 1

Röskär 59°25' 25 21 0.00 1

Degeberga 55°47' 120 22 0.29 1A The clone trial was planted at three localities in northern, middle and south Sweden.

The northern site was measured at three occasions. B Subjective weight

Objects where estimates of the same clones exist

Clone bank vs seed orchards.

Relationship between clone female fertility

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

0 50 100 150 200 250 300

Cones/ramet Sävar

See

ds/

ram

et K

lock

e

Correlation = 0,059Slope = 1,649

Cone counts of 30 clones

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0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450

Cones/ramet in Sävar archive

Co

nes/r

am

et

in R

ob

ert

sfo

rs Correlation = 0,216Slope = 0,428

Relationship between clone fertility

0

500

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2500

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140

Cones/ramet in Sävar archive

Co

nes/r

am

et

in S

kah

olm

a



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Cones/ramet in Sävar clonal bank

Co

nes/r

am

et

in S

ävar

SO

Correlation = 0,213Slope = -0,454


0

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0 100 200 300 400 500


Con

es/r

amet

in S

ävar

041

0 (II

I.)



0

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20

30

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0 100 200 300 400 500


Co

nes

/ram

et i

n S

ävar

820

8 (I

.)



0

50

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0 100 200 300 400 500


Co

nes

/ram

et i

n R

ösk

är



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0 100 200 300 400 500


Co

nes/r

am

et

in V

a S

ten

sh

ult Correlation = 0,287

Slope = 0,053


0

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0 100 200 300 400 500


Co

nes

/ram

et i

n S

ävar

930

9 (I

I.)


Clone bank - clone trial.


0

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0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Cone class of plus trees

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es/ra

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in S

ävar

SO



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0 2 4 6 8 10 12


See

ds/

ram

et i

n K

lock

e


Plus-trees - seed orchards.Relationship between clone female fertility

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0 1 2 3 4 5 6


Co

nes

/ram

et in

Ro

ber

tsfo

rs



0

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0 1 2 3 4 5 6


Con

es/ra

met

in S

kaho

lma



0

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0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7


Co

nes/r

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et

in V

a S

ten

sh

ult



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0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Cone class of plus tress

Cone

s/ra

met

in S

ävar

04


Relationship betw een clone female fertility

-10

0

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60

70

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7




0

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0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7


Con

es/ra

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in S

ävar

93



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0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7


Co

nes/r

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et

in R

öskär


Plus trees - clone trial.

Clone bank Plus trees

Correlation – mean 0.081 0.055

Gain potential – mean -2.6 % -4.2 %

Gain potential –weighted mean 8.9 % -5.1 %

Average correlations was close to zero.

Genetic gain in seed set was predicted by raising cone-set one standard deviation in clone bank or among plus trees. The gain was negative, or at least not large.

The main results are based on observations in Scots pine in northern Sweden a single year in a young clone bank. More data would be desirable for generalization.

• No single significant relationship. The correlations seem low.

• The gain in seed production if clones are selected for cone-set is uncertain and seems quite low.

• This study does not support to make efforts to predict seed-set before placing clones in seed orchards.

Suggested Main ResultsSuggested Main Results

This study is based on an undergraduate diploma work: Tellalov, Yordan (2006)

Relative female reproductive output of grafted Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) clones planted on different places.

http://ex-epsilon.slu.se/archive/00001031/More extensive acknowledgements are found there.

Dag Lindgren was supervisor.

Much of the data were collected and compiled for the planned PhD thesis of Finnvid Prescher.

http://ex-epsilon.slu.se/archive/00001031/







Seed set for Scots pine clones is difficult to predict

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