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

clone A clone B

clone C

clone D clone E

European larchJapanese larch

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.