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Patterns of genetic parameters for height in field genetic tests of Picea abies and Pinus sylvestris in Sweden

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Abstract

We reviewed the genetic parameter estimates carried out from 1992 to 2006 for height increment in genetic tests of Norway spruce and Scots pine, to describe patterns of genetic variation, heritability, and genetic correlations. The material included seedling and clonal tests in Sweden, aged between 5 and 20 years. Multiple regression was used to explore relationships between parameter values and test environments. Results showed moderate narrow-sense heritabilities (\( {\hat{h}^2} \): mean =0.29 in Norway spruce; mean =0.23 in Scots pine) that decreased with test site latitude for both species. In Norway spruce, \( {\hat{h}^2} \) increased with better growth and decreased with tree age, while for Scots pine, \( {\hat{h}^2} \) increased with tree age and southward transfer. The additive genetic coefficient of variation (; mean 15%), in Norway spruce, decreased with growth as well as site latitude. in Scots pine (mean =8.5%) increased with southward transfer and more southerly test latitude. Additive and genotypic within-site genetic age-age correlations in Norway spruce were high, with mean r A and r G of 0.92 and 0.85, respectively. Corresponding across-sites estimates were on average lower. Genetic parameters were better expressed on favorable sites, at younger ages in Norway spruce and at older ages in Scots pine. The results imply that gain calculations should be based on different parameters in the two species. For maximizing genetic gain in the Swedish breeding program, testing times could be shorter for Norway spruce than for Scots pine. The investigation showed a large variation in parameter estimates from different field experiments, highlighting the importance of testing over multiple sites.

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Acknowledgement

This work was supported through the Swedish Research Council Formas, the Research School in Forest Genetics and Breeding, SLU, Sweden, and NovelTree, European Seventh Framework Project FP7-211868. We thank Tim Mullin who gave helpful suggestions on an earlier version of the manuscript, as well as associate editor Rowland Burdon, and one anonymous referee for detailed reviews.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Forestry Research Institute of Sweden, P.O. Box 3, SE-918 21, Sävar, Sweden

    Johan Kroon, Tore Ericsson & Bengt Andersson

  2. The Forestry Research Institute of Sweden, Uppsala Science Park, SE-751 83, Uppsala, Sweden

    Gunnar Jansson

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  1. Johan Kroon
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  2. Tore Ericsson
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  3. Gunnar Jansson
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  4. Bengt Andersson
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Correspondence to Johan Kroon.

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Communicated by R. Burdon

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Kroon, J., Ericsson, T., Jansson, G. et al. Patterns of genetic parameters for height in field genetic tests of Picea abies and Pinus sylvestris in Sweden. Tree Genetics & Genomes 7, 1099–1111 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11295-011-0398-y

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