Abstract
Twelve- to 17-year-old Douglas-fir grafts, which in 1985 received no treatment, stem girdles only (G), or girdles plus stem injection of gibberellin A4/7 (G + GA) at vegetative bud burst, were in 1987 retreated with G + GA or left untreated. Tree were untreated in 1986 and cone production the following year was very sparse. G + GA treatment in 1987 increased the 1988 production of seed cones from 465 to 1600 per tree, with a comparable increase in frequency of grafts producing a heavy crop of pollen cones. However, induction treatments applied in 1985 adversely affected seed- and pollen-cone production in 1988, independent of treatment in 1987. Cone size, total and filled seed per cone, and seed germination were little affected by treatment either year. Treatment with G + GA in 1987 only maximized the production of filled seeds (48 100/tree), although G + GA in both 1985 and 1987 (31 200/tree) was still highly effective relative to no treatment in either year (14 700/tree). The G + GA treatment adversely affected tree condition more severely than previously (or since) experienced, probably as a consequence of grafts also being subjected to prolonged late-summer droughts during each of the treatment years.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bonnet-Masimbert, M. 1987. Preliminary results on gibberellin induction of flowering of seedlings and cuttings of Norway spruce indicate some carry-over effects. For. Ecol. Manage. 19: 163–171.
Bower, R. C., Ross, S. D. and Dunsworth, B. G. 1989. Effect of GA3 treatment time on flowering and sex expression in Chamaecyparis nootkatensis. Can. J. For. Res. 11: 1422–1426.
Eastham, A. M. and Ross, S. D. 1988. Comparison of production systems in potted western hemlock seed orchards, pp. 141–148. In: Worral, J., Loo-Dinkins, J. and Lister, D. (Eds) Proc. 12th N. Amer. For. Biol. Workshop. Univ. B.C., Vancouver.
Ebell, L. F. 1967. Cone production induced by drought in potted Douglas-fir grafts. Can. For. Serv. Bi-Mo. Res. Notes 23: 26–27.
Ebell, L. F. 1971. Girdling: its effect on carbohydrate status and on reproductive bud and cone development of Douglas fir. Can. J. Bot. 49: 453–466.
ISTA. 1985. International rules for seed testing—rules 1985. Seed Sci. Technol. 13: 299–355.
Longman, K. A., Dick, J. McP, Mugglestone, M. and Smith, R. I. 1986. Effects of gibberellin A4/7 and bark-ringing on cone initiation in mature Picea sitchensis grafts. Tree Physiol. 1: 101–113.
Marquard, R. D. and Hanover, J. W. 1985. Floral response of Picea glauca to gibberellin A4/7, naphthaleneacetic acid, root-pruning, and biennial treatment. Can. J. For. Res. 15: 743–746.
Owens, J. N. and Blake, M. D. 1985. Forest tree seed production. A review of literature and recommendations for future research. Environ. Can., Can. For. Serv. Inf. Rep. Pl-X-53. 161 p.
Pharis, R. P., Ross, S. D. and McMullan, E. E. 1980. Promotion of flowering in the Pinaceae by gibberellins. II. Seedlings of Douglas fir. Physiol. Plant. 50: 119–126.
Philipson, J. J. 1985. The promotion of flowering in large field-grown Sitka spruce by girdling and stem injections of gibberellin A4/7. Can. J. For. Res. 15: 166–170.
Philipson, J. J. 1987. Promotion of cone and seed production by gibberellin A4/7 and distribution of pollen and seed cones on Sitka spruce grafts in a clone bank. For. Ecol. Manage. 19: 147–154.
Puritch, G. S., McMullan, E. E., Meagher, M. D. and Simmons, C. S. 1979. Hormonal enhancement of cone production in Douglas-fir seedlings and grafts. Can. J. For. Res. 9: 193–200.
Ross, S. D. 1989. Long term cone production and growth responses to crown management and gibberellin A4/7 treatment in a young western hemlock seed orchard. New Forest 3: 235–245.
Ross, S. D. and Bower, R. C. 1989. Cost-effective promotion of flowering in a Douglas-fir seed orchard by girdling and pulsed stem injection of gibberellin A4/7 treatment. Silvae Genet. 38: 189–194.
Ross, S. D. and Pharis, R. P. 1986. Status of flowering in conifers: a constraint to tree improvement? In: Caron, F., Corriveau, A. G. and Boyle, T. J. B. (Eds) Proc. 20th Mtg. Can. Tree Improvement Assoc. Part 2. Environ. Can., Can. For. Serv., Ottawa (pp. 11–28).
Ross, S. D., Pharis, R. P. and Heaman, J. C. 1980. Promotion of cone and seed production in grafted and seedling Douglas-fir seed orchards by application of gibberellin A4/7 mixture. Can. J. For. Res. 10: 464–469.
SAS. 1985. SAS/STAT Guide for Personal Computers. 6th ed. SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC. 378 pp.
Wheeler, N. C., Cade, S. C., Masters, C. J., Ross, S. D., Keeley, J. W. and Hsin, L. Y. 1985. Girdling: a safe, effective and practical treatment for enhancing seed yields in Douglas-fir seed orchards. Can. J. For. Res. 15: 505–510.
Woods, J. H. 1989. Stem girdling to increase seed and pollen production of coast Douglas-fir. B.C. Min. For. Res. Note No. 103. 13 p.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ross, S.D., Bower, R.C. Promotion of seed production in Douglas-fir grafts by girdling + gibberellin A4/7 stem injection, and effect of retreatment. New Forest 5, 23–34 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00037548
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00037548