Genetic analysis of fibre size in a full-sib Pinus sylvestris L. progeny test

Abstract

Fibre length, fibre width, tree height and stem diameter in 25-yr-old Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) were investigated by genetic analysis. The analysis was carried out on nearly 400 trees for all traits simultaneously using multiple-trait, individual tree equations with simultaneous variance estimation. Narrow-sense heritabilities were estimated at about 0.3 for all traits except for stem diameter, which was lower (0.17). Low genetic coefficients of variation for fibre length may be partially explained by the sampling method, which was 5 mm increment boring resulting in fibre fragmentation, but the method served well for heritability and correlation analysis. The additive genetic correlation was strongly negative between fibre length and stem diameter, and strongly positive between fibre width and growth traits. The pair of fibre traits showed mutually strong negative additive-genetic but weak positive environmental correlation. The pair of growth traits showed no genetic but strong positive environmental correlation. Other correlation estimates were minor and uncertain, with the exception of a weak negative environmental correlation between fibre length and stem diameter. An additional approach, where stem diameter was regarded as a covariate, revealed positive environmental correlation between fibre length and tree height and negative environmental correlation between fibre width and tree height.

Keywords:

• Fibre length
• fibre width
• full-sib
• genetic correlation
• growth trait
• heritability
• multiple-trait individual tree model
• Scots pine
• tracheids

Acknowledgments

This work was made possible by funding from Kempestiftelserna (project JCK-9971), which is gratefully acknowledged. Kempestiftelserna also provided important economic resources for the instruments for the fibre analyses. Economic support from Anna and Nils Håkanssons Stiftelse is also acknowledged. Robert Evans, CSIRO, Forest Product Laboratory, Melbourne, Australia, assisted with important advice on interpretation of the data from the fibre analyses. Johan Lindeberg, Department of Silviculture, SLU, Umeå, Sweden, gave valuable advice during fibre analyses, and João Costa e Silva, Centro de Estudos Florestais, Dep. Engenharia Florestal, Institut Superior de Agronomia, Portugal, advised on genetic analysis.

Notes

Ericsson, T. ¹ and Fries, A. ² (¹SkogForsk, Box 3, SE-918 21 Sävar, Sweden, and ²Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Science (SLU), SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden). Genetic analysis of fibre size in a full-sib Pinus sylvestris L. progeny test.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Tore Ericsson

Ericsson, T. 1 and Fries, A. 2 (1SkogForsk, Box 3, SE-918 21 Sävar, Sweden, and 2Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Science (SLU), SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden). Genetic analysis of fibre size in a full-sib Pinus sylvestris L. progeny test.