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
Dec 13, 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.