Genetic control of stem form in Pinus pinaster Ait. seedlings exposed to lateral light

Abstract

 In order to compare family differences in stem form determination, seedlings of eight half-sib progenies of Pinus pinaster were exposed to three different light treatments: fixed lateral light (T1), alternate lateral light (T2), and direct sunlight (T3). From spatial coordinates of several points along the stem we computed four variables: global leaning (GL), apical leaning (APL), flexuosity index (FL) and length of the stem (LEN). Based on comparisons of the four variables, the phototropic stimulus caused different responses in stem form at the familial level. Treatment had an important effect on stem form, although the familial response to treatments was quite variable. Heritability values (h²) of the four analyzed variables showed a different pattern of variation for the three treatments, being very stable for LEN and FL, whereas h² of APL was much greater based on T1 and T2 compared to T3, and h² of GL based on T2 was much greater compared to T3 and T1. Differences in stem form were due not only to photomorphogenetic response to different light stimuli, but also to the straightening processes such as compression wood formation. The results suggest that lateral light treatments may be useful in revealing differences in efficiency of the mechanisms involved in stem form determination.