%0 Articles
%T Effects of genetic entry and spacing on growth and wood properties in Norway spruce
%A Zubizarreta Gerendiain, Ane
%D 2009
%J Dissertationes Forestales
%V 2009
%N 86
%R doi:10.14214/df.86
%U http://dissertationesforestales.fi/article/1868
%X In this work, it was  studied how genetic entry and spacing affected the growth, yield, wood density traits and fibre properties in Norway spruce (<em>Pice abies</em>). Moreover, phenotypic correlations between different traits and the effects of competition by neighbours on different traits were studied. The materials were harvested from four trials located in Southern Finland on agricultural or forest soils (established in 1970–90s), with spacing from 1 m x 1 m to 2 m x 2.5 m, and included normal and narrow crowned (<em>Pice abies</em> f. <em>pendula</em>) genetic entries.

Wood density traits and fibre properties showed, in general, lower phenotypic variations than growth and yield traits. Additionally, between individual clones of normal crowned Norway spruce differences were found in most of the studied traits, unlike between origins. Moreover, the narrow crowned genetic entries were more productive with narrow spacing, while in wider spacing the result was opposite. On average, the phenotypic correlations between growth and wood density traits were negative, though genetic entries with weak or no correlation could still be found. Moreover, the phenotypic correlations among the wood density traits and among the fibre properties were positive, and moderate to strong, indicating that selection for one trait affects the others. On average, the diameter of trees decreased and wood density increased with increasing competition, which explained part of the variation observed among the clones.

As a conclusion, selection for wood density alone generally reduces stem volume, whereas selection for fibre properties reduces wood density. However, for example, clone C43 in normal crowned Norway spruce had simultaneously high stem volume, relatively high wood density and long fibres. The marked differences observed among clones and the lack of clear differences among origins revealed that ranking for different traits should be based on individual clones rather than origins for breeding purposes.