Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Expected genetic gains and development plans for two longlead pine third-generation seedling seed orchards

Informally Refereed

Abstract

Selection and thinning plans were developed for two longleaf pine (Pinus palushis Mill .), third-generation seedling seed orchards located in southeastern Mississippi and central Louisiana. The two orchards were part of several long-term experimental field tests designed to investigate genetic variation in height growth and brown spot needle blight (caused by Scirrhia acicola (Dearn.) Siggers) resistance in a longleaf pine population. Phil Wakeley identified the original population in the 1920s in southeastern Louisiana and E. B. Snyder and H. J. Derr continued to advance the population through selection and breeding for early height growth and brown spot resistance. Our current results suggest that both traits can be improved by another round of selection and deployment through these third-generation seedling seed orchards. Operationally expected genetic gains range fiorn 4.7% to 9.1% for height at age 9 years and 3.6% to 4.3% for brown spot resistance through age 4 years. These expected gains represent an approximate tripling in early height growth rate and doubling of brown spot resistance compared to the second generation.

Keywords

longlead pine, grass-state, brown spot needle blight, disease resistance

Citation

Nelson, C.D.; Lott, L.H.; Gwaze, D.P. 2005. Expected genetic gains and development plans for two longlead pine third-generation seedling seed orchards. In: Proceedings: 28th Southern Forest Tree Improvement Conference: June 21-23, 2005. Raleigh, NC: North Carolina State University, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, 2005: 108-114
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/25236