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Phenotypic analysis of first-year traits in a pseudo-backcross {(slash x loblolly) x slash} and the open-pollinated families of the pure-species progenitors

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Abstract

A single test, including one pseudo-backcross (Pinus elliottii x Pinus taeda) x P. elliottii and open-pollinated families of the pure species progenitors, was established in North Central Florida in December 2007 to study the transfer of the fast-growing characteristics from a P. taeda L. (loblolly pine) parent into the P. elliottii Engelm. (slash pine) background. Several traits were measured in the first growing season: height growth, phenology, tip moth incidence, stem traits, crown architectural and needle traits. Heterosis was evaluated for each trait using analyses of variance by fitting a linear mixed model. All traits were significantly (p value < 0.05) different among families while the significance for heterosis varied by trait. Positive heterosis was found for average rate of shoot elongation (ASRE), total growth (TG), total height and number of needles per fascicle while the opposite was true for base diameter, top diameter, fascicle length, fascicle diameter, crown projected area and phenological traits (cessation, duration and day to reach 50% of the height). Average performance (i.e., no heterosis) was found for initiation of growth, number of branches, number of nodes, tip moth incidence, sheath length and specific leaf area. The analyses indicated that introgression of loblolly pine alleles into slash pine was effective and novel trait combinations were achieved. The pseudo-backcross had larger variation in early height growth than the slash pine families and was taller than all open-pollinated families at the end of the first season. Tip moth incidence was much lower than the loblolly pine family.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the CFGRP under the USDA Conifer Translational Genomic Network (CTGN) grant. Thanks to the CFGRP cooperators, in particular, to the University of Florida, Plum Creek Timber Company and Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation for the materials used in the project. We thank Greg Powell, Carlos Gonzales, Pablo Pinedo, Xiaobo Li, Andres Susaeta, Claudio Verdugo, Rodrigo Vergara and Alejandro Riveros for their help in data collection. Thanks to Tim Martin, Gary Peter and Salvador Gezan for their useful comments and discussion about the project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida, P.O. Box 110410, Gainesville, FL, 32611-0410, USA

    Patricio R. Muñoz Del Valle & Dudley A. Huber

  2. Southern Institute of Forest Ecosystems Biology, US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, Southern Research Station, 705 Spear Street, South Burlington, VT, 05403, USA

    John R. Butnor

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  1. Patricio R. Muñoz Del Valle
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  2. Dudley A. Huber
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Correspondence to Patricio R. Muñoz Del Valle.

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Communicated by: D. Grattapaglia

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Muñoz Del Valle, P.R., Huber, D.A. & Butnor, J.R. Phenotypic analysis of first-year traits in a pseudo-backcross {(slash x loblolly) x slash} and the open-pollinated families of the pure-species progenitors. Tree Genetics & Genomes 7, 183–192 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11295-010-0324-8

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