Post on 13-Dec-2015
Programmes for breeding of hybrid larch in Germany
Volker Schneck
Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institute, Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries, Institute of Forest Genetics, Waldsieversdorf
• The long-term breeding programme of hybrid larch by Prof. Langner
• Open questions and problems
• Introduction
• The programme for breeding hybrid larch for the north-eastern German lowlands
Area:European larch = 224 170 ha (3.2 %)Japanese larch and hybrids = 73 168 ha (0.7 %)
Harvested seeds per year (mean of 10 years ):ELA = 270 kg = 5 400 000 plants = 1 500 ha JLA = 20 kg = 400 000 plants = 110 haHLA = 75 kg = 1 500 000 plants = 425 ha
The genus Larix in Germany
25 200 ha larch stands between 1 and 20 years old = 1 260 ha/year regenerated with larch~4 200 000 plants/year
Tested reproductive material for European, Japanese and hybrid larch in Germany
species category region of provenance
number area [ha]
Larix decidua stands 837 01 3 4.7
837 03 4 6.9
837 05 1 2.3
Larix decidua seed orchard 837 02 2 4.6
837 03 13 22.5
Larix kaempferi seed orchard 839 01 1 4.6
839 02 1 1.6
Larix x eurolepis seed orchard 999 01 4 12.0
Places of hybrid larch breeding in Germany
19351936
1958
1950
1985
1954
1968
1960
Aims
• breeding of hybrid larch with– high productivity– good quality (stem form)– tolerance to different site condition
• identification of parent trees with good combining ability
• tested reproductive material according to the regulations of the EU and Germany
• seed orchards• selection of outstanding trees for vegetative
propagation
The programme for breeding hybrid larch for the north-eastern German lowlands
• 1950-1965 selection of plus trees and establishing of two clone archives with 970 different plus tree clones (780 L. decidua and 190 L. kaempferi)
• 1968-1989 three series of controlled crossings mostly between L. decidua and L. kaempferi (250 combinations – incomplete dialles)
• 1974 three trials with 81 progenies
• 1986 two trials with 49 progenies
• 1992 five trials with 42 progenies
The programme for breeding hybrid larch for the north-eastern German lowlands
Discription
D
F
Trials
1974 1986
1992
The programme for breeding hybrid larch for the north-eastern German lowlands
Mean and range for groups of progenies (ELA=100 %)
Progeny test hybrid larch 1974 - height 2005
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
HLA(E)
HLA(J)
ELA
HLA(E)
HLA(J)
ELA x ELA
ELA
JLA x
JLA
HLA(E)
HLA(J)
ELA x ELA
ELA
JLA x
JLA
[m]
110.2 %109.1 % 106.1 %
108.6 %
109.1 % 110.5 %
103.5 % 94.3 %
104.3 %
89.9 %
Floessberg Pfefferteich Luebz
Mean and range for groups of progenies (ELA=100 %)
Progeny test hybrid larch 1974 – single tree volume 2005
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
HLA(E)
HLA(J)
ELA
HLA(E)
HLA(J)
ELA x ELA
ELA
JLA x
JLA
HLA(E)
HLA(J)
ELA x ELA
ELA
JLA x
JLA
[dm³]
129.6 %127.4 %
123.8 %
121.9 %
123.1 %123.7 %
111.7 %84.2 %
78.9 %98.1 %
Floessberg Pfefferteich Luebz
Mean and range for groups of progenies
Progeny test hybrid larch 1974 – percentage of well-formed trees 2005
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
HLA(E)
HLA(J)
ELA
HLA(E)
HLA(J)
ELA x ELA
ELA
JLA x
JLA
HLA(E)
HLA(J)
ELA x ELA
ELA
JLA x
JLA
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100%
Floessberg Pfefferteich Luebz
-5
-4
-3
-2
-1
0
1
2
3
4
5
Gr 27 x M
1003
M 1001 x M
310
Gr 90 x G
2
M 1001 x G
r 30
M 1001 x S
A 610
SA
610 x R 7
SA
13 x R 6
SA
610 x G 2
D 4 x G
r 27
W 8 x G
r 90
SA
610 x S 7
W 8 x G
r 27
M 1611 x X
10
Gr 56 x K
9
M 1001 x G
r 27
SA
22 x G 6
M 6 x G
r 30
SA
13 x H 4
Gr 27 x R
7
M 1608 x G
6
D 4 x G
r 90
CS
SR
656 x W 2
SA
13 x N 3
M 1611 x G
2
B 118 x S
7
B 102 x D
5
SA
29 x I 2
B 118 x W
2
Hein
ersdorf
Hasselb
urg
M 1101 x D
5
Brü
senw
alde
progenies
Pfefferteich Luebz Floessberg
selection index
Progeny test hybrid larch 1974 – selection index 2005
Results
• better growth performance of many hybrid progenies compared with pure European larch (up to 30 % better than the best European larch) = verification of former results about superior growth of hybrid larch
• significant interactions between progenies and sites for most traits in all series
• weak correlation between stem form and growth traits
• identification and selection of parent trees fulfilling the requirements for the approval as “parents of families”
• 2006 planting of one hybrid larch seed orchard (two clones)
The programme for breeding hybrid larch for the north-eastern German lowlands
• evidence of superiority of hybrid larch
• low expense of work
• sufficient genetic diversity
• testing of progenies of many different plus trees on
different sites
• identification of mother trees with a good general
combining ability
• developing of a appropriate procedure for production of
hybrid seeds
The long-term breeding programme of hybrid larch by Prof. Langner
Aims
• 1955/56 selection of plus trees of Larix decidua in natural stands in the Alps and in secondary stands
• establishing of a clone archive with 435 different plus tree clones of Larix decidua
• 1965-1986 production of hybrid seeds without isolation of female flowers and artificial pollination
– 81 progenies (L. decidua x L. kaempferi), 8 mixed stands, 21 stands pure L. decidua or L. kaempferi
• 1972-1989 planting of 30 progeny tests– 19 sites more suitable for Japanese larch– 11 sites more suitable for European larch
Discription
The long-term breeding programme of hybrid larch by Prof. Langner
Austria
Germany
France
European larch site
Japanese larch site
The long-term breeding programme of hybrid larch by Prof. Langner
Test sites
Annual basal area increment for different groups of progenies
50100150200250300350400450500
European larch sites Japanese larch sites
An
nu
al b
asa
l ar
ea i
ncr
eme
nt
[mm
²]
L. kaempferi L. decidua Mixed populations Hybrids
20
30
40
50
60
70
European larch sites Japanese larch sitesAn
nu
al h
eig
ht
incr
em
ent
[cm
]
L. kaempferi L. decidua Mixed populations Hybrids
Annual height increment for different groups of progenies
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
European larch sites Japanese larch sites
Wel
l-fo
rmed
tre
es [
%]
L. kaempferi L. decidua Mixed populations Hybrids
Percentage of well-formed trees for different groups of progenies
Results
• The results verify the superior growth performance of hybrids between Larix decidua and L. kaempferi.
• Good survival and superior growth of hybrid larch under very different site conditions indicate a high level of adaptability.
• Identification of 6 progenies which combine growth performance and good quality as well as 8 additional progenies which good growth or good quality.
Mother trees usable for establishing seed orchards
• 1992 approval of a seed orchard (“Kuechengarten” – LOLA 1) – average percentage of hybrids=80 %
The long-term breeding programme of hybrid larch by Prof. Langner
Open questions and problems (Germany)
open questions:
- growth of older hybrid larch
- wood traits and diseases (canker)
- stimulation of planting hybrid larch in practical forestry
- integration of hybrids in the close-to-nature siviculture
very low interest in planting hybrid larch
no new activities for breeding of hybrid larch
Clone archives are old and difficult and expensive to manage = danger of loss of the basis for larch breeding.