I
\
.•
L
···c-. :
CONSERVATION AND I PROVE ENT OF GENETIC RESOURCES IN NORWEGIAN FORESTS -- AN EVALUATION by
Robert K. Campbell
J
I
,,,.
i111<:.,,
; : i! !! :
i
•
i
,1·,:'o: :'
l!Jililllii
I1
l1.L:'<·:
1 if1i11\1·
. .: .
.
...
Principal Plant Geneticist, U.S.D.A.,
U.S.F.S. Pac. Northwest Forest and Range Expt. Stat.,
Forestry Sciences Laboratory,
Corvallis, Oregon, U.S.A., February 2 7, 1974. ,. !
'
,,
·;
'•·.;
Norsk institutt for skogforsknir.g
143 2 As - NLH, Norway
Recommendations 10:<.
Practical 102
Research 103
104
TRAIT CHOICE
Alternatives
104
Information Needed
104
Information Available
105
Background
105
Quality of Material
106
Survival or
109
Adaptability
Quantity of Material
Norway's Choice of Traits
111
Evaluation
112
Recommendations
114
Practical
114
Research
115
SPECIES CHOICE
Ol-l!lJL,jJ
i
111
117
Alternatives
117
Information Needed to Make Choice
118
Information Available
118
Native Species
118
Introduced Species
119
Decisions Made in Norway
119
Evaluation
12 0
Recommendations
12 1
-ORGANIZATION AND PRIORITIES
124
Organization
125
Priorities
130
Breeding
131
Research
132
LITTERATURE CITED
134
FIGURES
165
'· .
( ,
'" "
'
SUMMARY
This report
is in response to a request for evaluation of the
Norwegian tree-breeding program including forest-genetics
researc.h.
Evaluation is based on an examination of Norway's
strategy in relation to:
1)
risks connected with present
methods of breeding and genetic-resource conservation,
2)
use
of available information in the breeding program and 3 )
production o f new information for use in breeding.
In the second chapter the research program that is necessary
to support a breeding program is symbolized by a network
diagram. This procedure is useful in directing attention to
matters relevant for judging strategies. Two of these are:
1) It would take at least 117 years to gather the information
'
necessary to devise a completely efficient breeding system
which can use all available sources of genetic variation.
Information will become available at different times
depending on research procedures and goals.
breeding programs should be flexible
Consequently,
so they can use in­
formation as it becomes available.
2) The progress of a breeding program depends mainly on·
decisions made in a few "critical" areas,
.species and traits;
genotypes;
e.g.,
choice of
"packaging" methods for improved
choice of breeding systems;
delimitation of
plantation zones.
Central chapters are used to discuss Norway's strategy in each
critical area. Decisions are evaluated in relation to:
alternative courses of action:
2)
decisions regarding alternatives,
available.
1)
information needed to make
and 3 )
the information
2
Genotypic and :nvironmental populations are potentially
very
heterogeneous within Norway's seed-collection and breeding­
zones.
Considerable within-zone genotype-environment interaction
is therefore likely.
The present policy of moving wild-seed
from southern and lower regions in
anticipation of higher
yields seems especially ill advised.
An immediate,
rec:assification of seed-zones is recommended.
preliminary
This could be
based on available ecological and climatological information.
The purpose is to make within-zone environments more
homogeneous,
thus reducing risks connected with seed movements
within present zones and transfer-rules.
New zones would be
temporary until information could be obtained from the large­
scale tests that will be necessary to objectively delimit seed­
collection and breeding zones.
Several breeding systems (rogued seed-production area;
progres­
sive system;
untested
and tested;
'
'
I
orchard;
;
clonal general-combining-ability orchard,
specific-combining-ability orchard and hybridizing_
clonal selection and propagation)
are discussed in
relation to their appropriateness for Norwegian conditions.
It is concluded that the untested general-combining-ability
orchard and hybridizing orchard,
Norway,
both presently in use in
are not likely to give appreciable genetic gains.
Consequently,
it is suggested that tests of clones in present
orchards should be started immediately.
advocated is to:
1)
try to use genetic variance so as to get
maximum one-cycle gain,
3)
-
The breeding strategy
2)
use information from young tests,
keep breeding system flexible.
The best method in relation
to the above strategy appears to be a clonal test of individual
seedlings within full-sib families.
Since clonal propagation of
superior genotypes has many advantages,
it is recom. ended that
research in several aspects of cloning of Norway spruce should
be considerably expanded.
Factors affecting costs of improved seed and the amount of
genetic gain that is needed to offset added costs from present
general-combining-ability orchards are examined.
I
I
There is
3
concern that seed cost may be so high that it cannot be covered
by expected gains. The concern is caused by the long rotation­
period and by some apparent biological limitations for seed
production in high-latitude regions.
It is recommended that
breeders eliminate all practices which tend to increase cost
of seed.
Main suggestions are to minimize work on small,
isolated orchards with ftw clones,
and to discontinue
establishment work on orchards with rough topography or in
western Norway or in regions north of 61
°
N latitude.
There may be some possibility of decreasing seed costs by
research on cultural methods for increasing cone production,
but the prognosis of success is not good. Difficulty with
seed production is an additional reason for increasing research
on rooting and other clonal propagation procedures.
An objective choice of traits is best done by developing a
selection index for each combination of traits and choosing
the combination which produces the greatest economic return.
This is presently impossible in forest trees because the
necessary estimates for genetic and economic components of the
selection index are lacking.
On subjective evidence it is
suggested that the first selection phase in Norway should limit
selection to adaptability and increased volume
At present,
probably
growth rate.
research in connection with trait choice should
be limited to cooperative studies with wood scientists.
The purpose would be to supply the trait value-functions which
are necessary for making objective choices among
traits.
Although many small species trials are presently planted in
eastern and western Norway,
additional large phase 1
provenance trials of Sitka spruce
Norway can be recommended.
and Norway spruce for western
It is likely that considerable
gain over presently used provenances could be obtained by
closely matching provenances to plantation zones.
large trials are also recommended for Pinus
Piaea engeimannii
in eastern Norway,
Similarly,
aontorta and
if these species are
being seriously considered for commercial use.
.•
.
4
The final chapter is mainly devoted to the topic of developing
an
organizational structure which can do two things. The first
is to efficiently use the skills of the limited number of
forest-genetics scientists in Norway. The second is to provide
added financial support,
which is necessary if gene-resource
conservation and improvement is to develop as it should in
Norway.
Development of a "gene-resource Board" is suggested
as one method for getting more skills into the gene resource
team. In connection with this,
several points are discussed
concerning separation of breeding
'
1:i1!11idi! program,
research,
program.
' ' ':' 'J
effects of funding
research from a breeding
methods on results of breeding
and the skills needed for guidance in a breeding
General priorities for breeding- and research-projects
are discussed in the last part of the chapter.
l!'..
'
'
)l,11iil:ii
i
". j
' '"" ,.,
.. -
.'
CONTENT
'; .
Page
SUMMARY
1
INTRODUCTION
5
ON BREEDING PROGRAMS
8
9
Network Diagramming
Breeding Strategy
18 Critical Breeding Decisions
21 Research
22 SEED COLLECTION ZONES AND PLANTATION ZONES 24 FOR IMRPOVED STRAINS
!•'«- '
:t'·,
j,,,iijji
' 1. ·
(•'·'
.
;·. .
.;'ni:1i't
Alternatives
24. Information Needed for Evaluation
26 Genetic Variability
27 Environmental Variability in Norway
30 Genetic Variability
Related to Environment
36 Genoty pe-environment Interaction
42 Within-zone Genoty pe-environment Interactions in other Regions
Zones in Norway
45 46
Seed Collection Zones
46 Breeding Zones
47 Evaluation
49 Seed-Zone Rules -- Background
49 Seed Zone Rules in Norway
52 Zone Size versus Increased Risk
54 Conclusion
56
Recommendations
Practical
56
56
Research
57 62 BREEDING SYSTEMS
Alternatives
62 Information Needed to Make Decisions
62 Genetic factors
63 Economic factors
66 Appropriateness factors
68 Information Available to Make Choices
Rogued Seed-production areas
69 69 General Combining Ability Orchard­
71 untested
General Combining Ability Orchard­
72 tested
Specific-combining- ability orchard and hybridizing orchard
74 Clones
79 The Breeding System in Norway
82 Evaluation of Norway's Strategy
83 General-Combining-Ability-Orchards
83 Hybridizing
84 Orchards
Recommendations
85 Breeding
85 Research
88 PACKAGING OF IMPROVED GENOTY PES
90 Alternatives
90 Information needed
90 Information available
93 Seed Production Costs
93 Economic Gain and Improved Seed
98 Alternatives to Clonal Orchards
99 Norway's Method for Utilizing Genetic Gains
100 Evaluation of Norway's strategy
100