Jouni Mikola. (1980). The effect of seed size and duration of growth on the height of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) provenances and progenies at the nursery stage. Silva Fennica vol. 14 no. 1 article id 5069. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.a15010

Keywords: Pinus sylvestris; Norway spruce; Picea abies; Scots pine; height growth; provenance; seed size; annual growth rhythm

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

In this paper the connection between seed weight and amount and duration of growth are studied at the progeny level within stands or climatically uniform areas, and at the provenance level within larger geographic areas. The material consists of materials of several experiments in the nursery of Maisala in Southern Finland in 1971–76. The origins of the plant material used in the different experiments ranged from progenies of individual Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) or Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst.) trees to provenance selections covering almost the whole natural range of these species.

The effect of seed weight on plant height is strongest immediately after germination and subsequently decreases steadily, when the genetic growth properties of the plants themselves become effective. The effect is usually visible at least until the end of the 1st growing season. This relationship varies considerably depending on the material studied. The connections between the duration and the amount of height growth also proved to differ according to the nature of genetic variation. In wide selection of provenances, which show clear genetic differentiation in annual growth rhythm. The variation in the duration of growth accounts for most of the differences in total height growth. At the individual and family level or between provenances of a limited area, there seems to be no clear connection between the duration and the amount of growth. It seems that the duration of the annual growing period is a genetic property, which is not affected by seed weight.

The total height alone in 1-year old test material grown in a greenhouse had hardly any value in the forecasting of growth capacity. The growth differences were caused mainly by the variation in seed size and growth rate differences during the growing period.

The PDF includes a summary in Finnish.

Mikola, E-mail: jm@mm.unknown

Category : Research article

article id 10534, category Research article

Matti Haapanen, Seppo Ruotsalainen. (2021). Adaptive performance of genetically improved and unimproved seedlings of Scots pine. Silva Fennica vol. 55 no. 5 article id 10534. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.10534

Keywords: Pinus sylvestris; cold hardiness; growth rhythm; seed orchards; bud set; freezing test; reproductive materials

Highlights: We studied the variation in adaptive traits in one-year-old seedlings of Scots pine representing different levels of genetic gain and geographical origins; All the adaptive traits analyzed showed clinal co-variation with the latitude of origin; Differences in adaptive performance between genetically improved and unimproved reproductive materials were mostly small and insignificant when the effect of the latitudinal origin was considered; First-generation seed orchard materials implied slightly poorer autumn frost hardiness compared to other materials, but the results were ambiguous.

Abstract | Full text in HTML | Full text in PDF | Author Info

Our main objective was to determine whether various genetically improved reproductive materials of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) differ in growth rhythm, autumn cold acclimation and resilience from unimproved materials. The study consisted of two successive indoor experiments with Scots pine seedlings representing four levels of genetic gain (unimproved natural stands, first-generation seed orchards, 1.5-generation seed orchards and seed orchards established with freezing-tested parents) and a wide range of geographical origins within Finland. The seedlings were assessed for terminal shoot elongation, growth cessation, bud set, freezing injuries and bud flushing over the first growth period. All the adaptive traits showed a latitudinal trend regardless of the genetic level. Seed orchard progenies and natural stand progenies did not differ significantly in the timing of growth cessation, bud set, and the flushing rate of the frost-injured seedlings, after the trait variation was adjusted to the latitude of origin. The differences in autumn frost hardiness were insignificant, too, except for the somewhat higher injury rate displayed by the first-generation seed orchard materials. The finding was not conclusive due to ambiguous results from the two experiments. Overall, we did not find evidence of alarming compromises in the adaptive performance of genetically improved materials.

Haapanen, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Production systems, Latokartanonkaari 9, FI-00790 Helsinki, Finland https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3294-501X E-mail: matti.haapanen@luke.fi
Ruotsalainen, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Production systems, Vipusenkuja 5, FI-57200 Savonlinna, Finland https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2547-0282 E-mail: seppo.ruotsalainen@luke.fi

article id 215, category Research article

Antti J. Lukkarinen, Seppo Ruotsalainen, Teijo Nikkanen, Heli Peltola. (2009). The growth rhythm and height growth of seedlings of Siberian (Larix sibirica Ledeb.) and Dahurian (Larix gmelinii Rupr.) larch provenances in greenhouse conditions. Silva Fennica vol. 43 no. 1 article id 215. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.215

Keywords: height growth; larch; Larix; provenance; growth rhythm

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

The aim of this study was to determine whether the growth rhythm and height growth differ between various larch provenances grown in greenhouse conditions. We also investigated whether the geographic and climatic conditions at the origin of the provenance could explain the possible differences between the provenances. The study material consisted of 16 Russian Siberian (Larix sibirica Ledeb.) and Dahurian larch (Larix gmelinii Rupr.) provenances and four seed sources from Finland as comparison lots. The growth rhythm differences were clearest between the southern and northern provenances; the southern provenances grew for a longer period and the proportion of late summer height growth was larger. Autumn colouration also developed later in these provenances. In the Russian larch material the provenances with a longer growing period had greater height growth. In the whole material the relationship was not so linear due to the deviating behaviour of the comparison material. Several of the Russian larch provenances were taller than the Finnish comparison seed lots, although the difference was not statistically significant. However, the growth of these provenances must be followed for a much longer period in field trials before any conclusions can be drawn about their usability in practical forestry.

Lukkarinen, University of Joensuu, Faculty of Forest Sciences, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland E-mail: antti.lukkarinen@pp.inet.fi
Ruotsalainen, Finnish Forest Research Institute, Punkaharju Research Unit, Finlandiantie 18, FI-58450 Punkaharju, Finland E-mail: sr@nn.fi
Nikkanen, Finnish Forest Research Institute, Punkaharju Research Unit, Finlandiantie 18, FI-58450 Punkaharju, Finland E-mail: tn@nn.fi
Peltola, University of Joensuu, Faculty of Forest Sciences, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland E-mail: hp@nn.fi

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