Abstract
In 44-year-old full-sibs of north Swedish Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), the estimated heritability of heartwood diameter was 0.5 despite the influence of environmental changes (caused by an earlier thinning) which apparently had reduced the heritabilities of height and diameter to around zero. The heritability of bole straightness was estimated to be 0.6. The coefficient of additive genetic variation of heartwood diameter was estimated at 0.2. If a reliable ‘heartwood-meter’ becomes available that allows nondestructive measurements to be rapidly made in the field it should be possible to breed for or against heartwood formation with less effort compared with that required in breeding aimed at improving regular production traits.
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Received: 10 June 1998 / Accepted: 8 September 1998
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Ericsson, T., Fries, A. High heritability for heartwood in north Swedish Scots pine. Theor Appl Genet 98, 732–735 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/s001220051128
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s001220051128