Plantation Improvement Using Technically Improved Clonal Propagation – An Overview of the Latest Technology in India.

Not AvailableCloning is a propagation technology that can be very effective in making practical use, via ‘clonal forestry’, of proven superior individuals occurring in nature or developed by breeding. The alternative (traditional) propagation route to improved plantations, ‘seedling forestry’, involves mass selection for various kinds of seed orchards that in turn provide improved seed. Although this approach has often served well in the past, and will continue to do so in appropriate circumstances (usually where requisite resources for clonal forestry are lacking, or profitability of it would be marginal), clonal forestry is currently showing great potential in the forestry industry. This paper outlines the conditions under which clonal forestry is an appropriate option and, as background to enable a better understanding of clonal propagation, a simplified explanation of variation in tree species and improvement options has been provided,Not Availabl

Evaluation of the 1986-1987 radiata pine clonal trials at Forest Research, New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Applied Science at Massey University

Clonal forestry, the establishment of plantations using tested clones, is highly sought after by the forestry industry in New Zealand and worldwide. Clonal testing is a vital element in the process leading to clonal forestry. Two clonal trials established in 1986 and 1987 by the Forest Research Institute with juvenile ortet material have been analysed in this study. The mating design in the 1986 clones-in-family trial was single-pair crossing with amplification of the clones by fascicle cuttings. It was replicated over two sites, and the trait analysed was diameter at 1.40 m height at ages 4,7, and 10 years. The estimation of additive, non-additive and genetic variances showed a high proportion of non-additive variance compared with the additive variance at one of the sites, whereas the proportion was less important at the other site. The high non-additive component of variance can be due to important dominance or epistasis, or to C-effects confounded with the non-additive variance. This trend was similar for all three ages. Realised genetic gains were obtained from selection of clones at age 10 years for clonal deployment and breeding. For clonal deployment, realised gains were high at both sites (13% and 16%). The gains were similar at both sites provided selection was based on performance values at the site, and not on indirect selection on performance of clones at the other site. Realised gains for selection at age 10 based on the performance of clones on combined sites (10% and 13%) were less than the maximum gain obtained at each individual site. Gains based on information from both sites (10% and 12% at respective sites) were more stable than those selections at any one site. For breeding, the level of gain was significantly inferior than for clonal deployment (4% and 8%), especially when the number of clones per family was restricted to one (2% and 4%). Realised gain on combined-site selection yielded less gain than direct selection at the optimum site for selection (1% and 2%). The presence of genotype x environment interaction emphasised the need to test clones in several sites if stability of performance is desired. It is possible to obtain gain from selections made at an early age, but selections made for breeding at the age of final assessment yielded greater expected total gain and gain per unit time. The mating design in the 1987 clones-in-family trial was a 3 x 3 disconnected factorial. The trial was established on a single site and the trait analysed was percentage of Dothistroma needle infection at ages 3,4 and 7years. The mating design allowed estimation of additive, dominance and epistasis variances, which were overestimated for the lack of replication over sites. In this trial measured for Dothistroma resistance, the additive variance was the major component of the genetic variance at both ages. The evolution of components of genetic variance was confounded with the level of Dothistroma infection. The analysis of these trials indicated the need to improve the mating and field designs to improve the accuracy in the estimation of genetic parameters, highlights the importance of annual or biennual measurements to determine trends of those parameters over time, and showed the difference in gains obtained from selection for breeding and clonal deployment for early selection and selection at the age of final assessment. Accuracy in the estimation of genetic parameters can be achieved using factorial mating designs together with serial propagation to reduce the incidence of C effects, and with replication over several sites. Further considerations have to be made to find the most appropriate field and statistical design, but alpha designs are a possibility to explore. Investment in a series of carefully planned clonal trials is fundamental to the future of clonal forestry in radiata pine

Clonal Forestry – An ITC Initiative

Not AvailableThe ITC Limited - Paperboards & Specialty Papers Division, Bhadrachalam unit uses 800,000 MT/annum of wood from Eucalyptus, Leucaena, Casuarina and Bamboo in it’s furnish for manufacturing the pulp and paperboards along with secondary fibre. A plan to grow 100,000 ha plantations before the completion of the decade (2010) was developed to meet the raw material requirements of the mill on a continuous and sustainable basis. The Company promoted Social and Farm Forestry plantations by distributing nearly 30 million seedlings and covered 9441 ha with Eucalyptus plantations from 1982 to 1995. These plantations showed high genetic variations, poor survival and productivity. At that time the prevailing scene of Eucalyptus seed route plantations was grim as the foliar blight disease caused by Cylindrocladium spp. was quite prevalent in plantations. Apart from that, termites caused large-scale seedling mortality in plantations of young age. The out come was that the survival of trees in plantations at harvest stage was 30 to 50 per cent and productivity of 4 to 6 MT/ha/yr. Due to low yields, the plantations were not economical to the farmers as an alternative farming option. The other reasons for poor productivity were hybrid breaking, non availability of quality seeds, primitive nursery practices, mismatch of species and provenances to site, close spacing, lack of follow up of correct package of practices (Kulkarni, 2001). Because of Eucalyptus controversy (Rajan, 1987), farmers were scared to take up plantations. Leucaena had Psyllid problem and Casuarina with stem fungal disease. Therefore, a decade ago, Farm Forestry plantations were becoming unpopular in spite of the incentives, subsidies and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) loans to the farmers. This adverse scenario changed over a period of 4 to 5 years from 1989 year when the Company decided to launch Tree Improvement Programme and promoted Clonal Technology based plantations (Kulkarni and Lal, 1995).Not Availabl

Possibilities and limitations of vegetative propagation in breeding and mass propagation of Norway spruce

The use of vegetative mass propagation in practical forestry with Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) is limited at present, although its potential to deliver high genetic gains is obvious. The objective of this thesis was to study possibilities and limitations of vegetative propagation when applied in different parts of a breeding/mass propagation system for Norway spruce. Two vegetative propagation methods were studied: somatic embryogenesis and cutting propagation. Somatic embryogenesis was accompanied by losses of genotypes during the propagation process. The embryogenic response at proliferation and maturation was under family control, while germination was obtained for all families. Parental effects on proliferation and maturation were found for male parents but not for female. However, no correlations between embryogenic characters and breeding goal traits could be detected on parental level. Shortening of treatment with abscisic acid (ABA) during somatic embryo development gave pronounced positive effects on height growth of regenerated plants. An improved protocol, including five weeks ABA treatment and root development in liquid medium significantly improved performance of the resulting plants. The number of plants with lateral roots at the time of ex vitro transfer increased substantially with this protocol. Lateral roots at ex vitro transfer were shown to be a marker for good height growth and clonal uniformity during the next two years. Selection for height of cutting propagated clones in the nursery resulted in low responses in height after six years in field. The likely reason for this was low correlations between nursery traits and field traits. Genotype x environment interactions in the studied clonal test series varied from close to zero to more than 50% of the clone component. A tendency towards increased interaction components with age was obtained in one of the series. In situations with large genotype x environment interactions, clonal stability over sites should be included in the selection criteria