Growth and adaptability of provenances and progenies of Pinus maximinoi H.E.Moore in northern Mozambique

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the growth and adaptability of Pinus maximinoi provenances and progenies and to estimate the genetic variation that could be exploited in feature improvement (e.g. breeding studies). Data from this study are from a 12-year P. maximinoi trial established by the Florestas do Niassa Lda, (an afforestation company), with four provenances and nineteen progenies, in the Chimbonila district, northern Mozambique. The field trial was set up in a randomised block design with four repetitions and six plant linear plots. At two, four and eight years of age, performance in total height, diameter at breast height (DBH) and survival were analysed. The results at eight years of age showed no significant variation between provenances for all variables analysed. Our selection criteria detected 45% of the best performing progenies mostly from Yuscaran and San Jeronimo. Most of the nine progenies classified as best, based on predicted additive genetic effect and genetic gain, belonged to Yuscaran and Tatumbla. On the other hand, most of the progenies at the level of the 17 best-classified individuals were from San Jeronimo, which we suggest can be used for future breeding projects in northern Mozambique.