Retrospective Early Tests of Pinus sylvestris L. Seedlings Grown Under Five Nutrient Regimes

Abstract

Abstract Seedlings belonging to 36 families from a partial diallel mating between 11 parents of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) were cultivated for three growth periods in growth chambers at five nutrient levels in the range 5-45 mg N/liter. The ratios between N:K:P were always 100:65:13. Several growth and growth component characters were assessed, mainly during the third growth period. Additive genetic correlations between these characters and growth of other full-sibs from the same parents assessed at ages 10-28 in two adjacent field trials in southeastern Sweden were estimated. Estimates of the additive genetic correlations were obtained by calculating Pearson product moments of phenotypic values adjusted for nongenetic effects. Tests of independence between the genetic values in the phytotron and in the field trials were performed using rank correlation of the estimated GCA values. The lowest nutrient level gave low or negative genetic correlation coefficients with field data. For the four higher nutrient levels the genetic correlation coefficients between growth chamber data and field data increased with age of the field material. The strongest correlations were obtained with growth increments between years 13-23 and 23-28 (0.8-1.0). The standard errors of the estimates of the genetic correlation coefficients mostly varied between 0.2-0.5. FOR. SCI. 39(1):95-117.