Pertti Pulkkinen, Saila Varis, Raimo Jaatinen, Aulis Leppänen, Anne Pakkanen. (2011). Increasing survival and growth of Scots pine seedlings with selection based on autumn coloration. Silva Fennica vol. 45 no. 4 article id 93. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.93

Keywords: Pinus sylvestris; adaptation; field trials; harsh conditions; needles; nursery; selection

Abstract | View details | Full text in PDF | Author Info

This study evaluates the possibility of using autumn coloration of young Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seedlings as an indicator of adaptation to harsh climate conditions. One-year old seedlings from natural stands with different origins and seed orchards were classified as “red/reddish” and “green” based on the needle color after artificially increased night length in nursery and then measured after 14 years in field trials. In almost all the studied groups seedlings classified as “red/reddish” had significantly higher survival rate than seedlings classified as “green”. The survival of “red/reddish” was 14.2% higher than “green” among natural stand seed material and 56.2% among seed orchard material. During the study period the survival difference between “red/reddish” and “green” seedlings tended to increase. The seedling color had limited connection with the height growth, even though the trees classified as “red/reddish” were slightly taller than those classified as “green”. However, the total productivity over all field trials, described here as a heightsum, of “red/reddish” trees was 15% higher than productivity of “green” trees from natural stand material, and 61% higher than those from seed orchard material. It seems that controlled selection based on autumn color can be utilized within seed crops of different types with the aim to increase the adaptability of seed material to different environmental conditions.

Pulkkinen, Metla, Haapastensyrjä, Läyliäinen, Finland E-mail: pertti.pulkkinen@metla.fi
Varis, Metla, Haapastensyrjä, Läyliäinen, Finland E-mail: sv@nn.fi
Jaatinen, Metla, Haapastensyrjä, Läyliäinen, Finland E-mail: rj@nn.fi
Leppänen, Metla, Haapastensyrjä, Läyliäinen, Finland E-mail: al@nn.fi
Pakkanen, Metla, Haapastensyrjä, Läyliäinen, Finland E-mail: ap@nn.fi

article id 193, category Research article

Jaume Gort, Ane Zubizarreta Gerendiain, Heli Peltola, Pertti Pulkkinen, Johanna Routa, Raimo Jaatinen. (2009). Differences in fibre properties in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) genetic entries grown at different spacing and sites. Silva Fennica vol. 43 no. 3 article id 193. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.193

Keywords: fibre length; fibre width; genetic entry; growth; wood density; coarseness; spacing

Abstract | View details | Full text in PDF | Author Info

In forest breeding, stem volume growth and sawn timber quality indicators have been used as the most important selection traits for Scots pine, whereas less attention has been given to characteristics such as fibre properties. In the above context, we investigated the differences in fibre properties (i.e. fibre length, fibre width and coarseness) in 20 year old Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) genetic entries as affected by spacing and site, but also the phenotypic correlations between fibre properties, yield and wood density. The study was based on materials harvested from 10 genetic entries grown in a spacing trial (site 1) in central Finland, with a current stand density of 2000 (spacing 1), 2000–2500 (spacing 2) and 4000 trees/ha (spacing 3). In order to study the effects of site, we harvested additional material (4 of 7 genetic entries same as on site 1) from a trial located in southern Finland with a corresponding stand density of 2000 trees/ha (site 2). On site 1, spacing 1 and 3, all average values for analysed fibre properties were similar. In spacing 2 average values were slightly higher. On site 2, the average values for different fibre properties were similar compared to the corresponding spacing 1 on site 1. Spacing affected (p < 0.05) all average fibre properties on site 1; as did also site, when comparing same genetic entries grown on both sites. Regardless of spacing and site, the phenotypic correlations between average fibre length, fibre width and coarseness showed, on average, moderate to strong correlation (p < 0.05). Fibre width showed, in general, low and positive phenotypic correlation with diameter at breast height, stem volume and wood density on site 1. However, as a whole, the ranking of genetic entries changed depending on the trait and spacing considered. Thus, no overall ranking between genetic entries was possible.

Gort, University of Joensuu, Faculty of Forest Sciences, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland E-mail: jaume.gort@joensuu.fi
Zubizarreta Gerendiain, University of Joensuu, Faculty of Forest Sciences, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland E-mail: azg@nn.fi
Peltola, University of Joensuu, Faculty of Forest Sciences, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland E-mail: hp@nn.fi
Pulkkinen, Finnish Forest Research Institute, Haapastensyrjä Breeding Station, Karkkilantie E-mail: pp@nn.fi
Routa, University of Joensuu, Faculty of Forest Sciences, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland E-mail: jr@nn.fi
Jaatinen, Finnish Forest Research Institute, Haapastensyrjä Breeding Station, Karkkilantie E-mail: rj@nn.fi

article id 247, category Research article

Ane Zubizarreta Gerendiain, Heli Peltola, Pertti Pulkkinen, Veli-Pekka Ikonen, Raimo Jaatinen. (2008). Differences in growth and wood properties between narrow and normal crowned types of Norway spruce grown at narrow spacing in Southern Finland. Silva Fennica vol. 42 no. 3 article id 247. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.247

Keywords: fibre length; stem volume; height; diameter; wood density; earlywood; latewood

Abstract | View details | Full text in PDF | Author Info

In recent years there has been increased interest in the so called narrow crowned Norway spruce (Picea abies f. pendula), which is a rare mutant of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karsten), as a suitable wood raw material source for pulp and paper production. This is because it is less sensitive to competition than the normal crowned Norway spruce, and thus, could be more productive especially at dense spacing. In the above context, we investigated how the growth and yield (such as height, diameter, stem volume and ring width) in addition to wood density traits and fibre properties (such as wood density, fibre length and width, cell wall thickness and fibre coarseness) were affected in trees from 9 full-sib families representing narrow crowned Norway spruce grown at narrow spacing of 1 m 1 m in Southern Finland. For comparison, we used normal crowned Norway spruce trees from 6 breeding regions. We found that, compared to growth and yield traits, wood density traits and fibre properties showed, on average, lower phenotypic variations. In addition, these variations were smaller for narrow crowned families than for normal crowned genetic entries. Narrow crowned families also showed, on average, higher growth and yield and fibre length, but lower wood density. Moreover, the phenotypic correlations between growth, yield, wood density traits and fibre properties, ranged, on average, from moderate (narrow crowned) to high (normal crowned). As a whole, the growth and wood properties of narrow crowned families were found to be less sensitive to tree competition than the normal crowned genetic entries used as a comparison.

Zubizarreta Gerendiain, University of Joensuu, Faculty of Forest Sciences, Joensuu, Finland E-mail: ane.zubizarreta@joensuu.fi
Peltola, University of Joensuu, Faculty of Forest Sciences, Joensuu, Finland E-mail: hp@nn.fi
Pulkkinen, Finnish Forest Research Institute, Haapastensyrjä Breeding Station, Läyliäinen, Finland E-mail: pp@nn.fi
Ikonen, University of Joensuu, Faculty of Forest Sciences, Joensuu, Finland E-mail: vpi@nn.fi
Jaatinen, Finnish Forest Research Institute, Haapastensyrjä Breeding Station, Läyliäinen, Finland E-mail: rj@nn.fi

Click this link to register to Silva Fennica.

If you are a registered user, log in to save your selected articles for later access.

Contents alert

Your selected articles

Follow @SilvaFennica