Abstract
Controlled pollination (CP) is an important tool for breeding programs to improve seed quality, as it rapidly generates desirable genotypes and maximizes genetic gains. However, few studies have evaluated the success rate of CP, especially in Larix gmelinii var. principis-rupprechtii Mayr. seed orchards. In this study, we estimated the rate of correct parentage in 257 CP progeny in an L. gmelinii var. principis-rupprechtii seed orchard from ten candidate parents using 13 microsatellites. The parentage exclusion probabilities of all combined loci in the single parent and parent pair tests were > 0.99, which was sufficient to distinguish the relatedness of the sampled individuals. Comparing the maximum likelihood-based parentage analysis results with breeding records revealed that the percentages of correctly identified maternal and paternal parents were 22.6% and 35.0% at 95% CL, respectively, suggestive of parent mislabeling and pollen contamination in the CP population. We conducted a pedigree reconstruction by identifying the expected parents and assigned maternity, paternity, and parent pairs to 176 (68.5%), 199 (77.4%), and 132 (51.4%) progeny, respectively. This study provides a reference for future selection of elite genotypes for commercial production. To increase the efficiency of CP, molecular markers should be used to correctly identify individuals in seed orchards before conducting CP.
Highlights
Prince Rupprecht’s larch (Larix gmelinii var. principis-rupprechtii Mayr.) is one of the most important native conifer species in northern China used for reforestation and to build nonfood forests due to its growth speed, high timber quality, and numerous applications [1]
The total parentage exclusion probability for the single parent and parent pair tests was > 0.99, indicating that the set of markers used for this analysis had good identification ability and was adequate for determining parentage and recognizing individuals
Similar estimates were reported in a parentage assignment study of a loblolly pine seed orchard; the estimated of probabilities were 0.99 for the single parent test and > 0.9999 for the parent pair test [21]
Summary
Prince Rupprecht’s larch (Larix gmelinii var. principis-rupprechtii Mayr.) is one of the most important native conifer species in northern China used for reforestation and to build nonfood forests due to its growth speed, high timber quality, and numerous applications [1]. Principis-rupprechtii Mayr.) is one of the most important native conifer species in northern China used for reforestation and to build nonfood forests due to its growth speed, high timber quality, and numerous applications [1]. Natural populations are mainly distributed in Hebei and Shanxi provinces, China. Pinaceae species were first targeted for scientific breeding programs in China in the 1960s [2]. Efficiency of controlled pollination in a Larix gmelinii var. 2016-01-3); the Project of Hebei Science and Technology (16226309D). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript
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