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Genetic variation in traits affecting sawn timber recovery in plantation-grown Eucalyptus nitens

  • Original Paper
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Abstract

• Introduction

There is increasing interest in managing Eucalyptus nitens plantations for sawn timber production.

• Aims

This study aimed to determine the potential for genetic improvement of traits affecting green sawn board recovery in plantation-grown E. nitens.

• Methods

The study was undertaken on an E. nitens progeny trial. All trees were measured for diameter at breast height (DBH) and stem straightness, and 560 trees were selected for timber processing. Assessment was made of survival, log and green sawn board volume, log taper, and both upper and lower log end splitting. Genetic variation in and between these traits was estimated.

• Results

Genetic differences among races were significant for DBH at years 9 and 14, stem straightness, log taper and green sawn board volume. Within-race, narrow-sense heritabilities were significant for DBH, stem straightness, log volume, and both upper and lower log end splitting. Positive and significant additive genetic correlations were observed between DBH at all ages and survival, stem straightness and log volume. Significant adverse genetic correlations were shown between upper log end splitting and DBH at years 9 and 14.

• Conclusion

These findings showed that harvest-age stem straightness and log volume objective traits in E. nitens are amenable to genetic improvement and that selection for early-age DBH in breeding programmes should improve harvest-age survival, stem diameter and straightness, as well as log and green sawn board volume. However, these improvements are likely to be countered to some extent by increased end splitting of logs from larger trees.

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Acknowledgements

The study was supported by the Cooperative Research Centre for Forestry. We acknowledge the work of Dr Peter Volker in planning and establishing the progeny trial, which is part of a series of trials which underpins Forestry Tasmania’s E. nitens tree breeding programme. We thank Dr. Greg Dutkowski for helpful advice on quantitative genetic analysis.

Funding

We acknowledge substantial assistance from Forestry Tasmania, which provided trees from their progeny trial and personnel for straightness assessment, Forest Enterprises Australia Ltd. for processing the logs, and the Cooperative Research Centre for Forestry for David Paul Blackburn’s PhD scholarship funding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Plant Science, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, Tasmania, 7000, Australia

    David Paul Blackburn, Matthew G. Hamilton & Bradley M. Potts

  2. CRC for Forestry, Private Bag 12, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia

    David Paul Blackburn, Matthew G. Hamilton, Chris E. Harwood, Trevor C. Innes, Bradley M. Potts & Dean Williams

  3. CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, Private Bag 12, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia

    Chris E. Harwood

  4. Gunns Ltd., PO Box 572, Launceston, Tasmania, 7250, Australia

    Trevor C. Innes

  5. Forestry Tasmania, 79 Melville Street, Hobart, Tasmania, 7000, Australia

    Dean Williams

Authors
  1. David Paul Blackburn
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  2. Matthew G. Hamilton
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  3. Chris E. Harwood
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  4. Trevor C. Innes
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  5. Bradley M. Potts
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  6. Dean Williams
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to David Paul Blackburn.

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Handling Editor: Barry Alan Gardiner

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Blackburn, D.P., Hamilton, M.G., Harwood, C.E. et al. Genetic variation in traits affecting sawn timber recovery in plantation-grown Eucalyptus nitens . Annals of Forest Science 68, 1187–1195 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13595-011-0130-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13595-011-0130-y

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