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Phenotypic selection is the method of selection, where the best individuals are selected on the basis of their appearance without any knowledge about the genetic parameters of the traits of interest. It includes also selecting of trees based on measurements but without calculating the
genetic parameters.
Objective: is to collect information on the importance, current state-of-the-art and the efficiency of phenotypic selection of forest tree species.
This survey is being done in connection with the Treebreedex Deliverable No. 3 “state-of-art
synthesis on methodological aspects” - related to breeding activities.
Comments and suggestions are welcome.
Participant no: 25
Country:
Organisation
(including contact address):
Contact person
(name and e-mail address):
Sweden
SLU
Dag.Lindgren@genfys.slu.se
Questionnaire on efficiency of phenotypic selection 1/5

1. Does your Institution use phenotypic selection?
(It can be considered in the last 10 years and include plus-trees selection)?
Our institute is a research organisation and do not perform operative breeding, but we do research on breeding methods and have results about phenotypic selection. I express may opinions in below (do not care to consult others).
13. What are the benefits of using phenotypic selection in your opinion?
(please specify)
Easy to handle
Simple logistics
More efficient for long-term breeding than progeny-testing
Rather diversity-efficient
14. What are the disadvantages of using phenotypic selection in your opinion?
Clonal testing is preferable but biologically that does not work for some species.
Difficulties to make crosses or collect pollen from a phenotype in the forest.
An inexact estimate of breeding value which makes it doubtful in seed orchards with few clones
15. What is the future outlook for phenotypic selection?
In the near future is the use of phenotypic selection expected to increase, decrease or remain the same?
Why is this so? (please explain)
Increase.
It has been regarded as unsophisticated, but it is now accepted that it is often breeding-efficient
16. Are there any known practical example in your country of phenotypic selection
(please specify)
There have been maybe 10000 plus trees selected by phenotypic selection in more or less mature forests
More than half of the forest culture today origins from such untested phenotypic selections
There are cases where phenotypic selections have been done in crosses among good general combiners of Scots pine
17. Literature:
(please indicate interesting literature concerning phenotypic selection)
Questionnaire on efficiency of phenotypic selection 2/5

Andersson EW, Lindgren D, Spanos KA, & MullinTJ 1998. Genetic diversity after one round of selection. Forest Tree Improvement 26:47-55.
Andersson EW, Spanos KA, MullinTJ & Lindgren D 1998, Phenotypic selection can be better than selection for breeding value. Scand. J. For. Res. 13:7-11.
Andersson EW, Spanos KA, MullinTJ & Lindgren D Phenotypic selection compared to restricted combined index selection for many generations. Silva Fennica, 32:111-
120.
Andersson, E.W. 1999. Gain and diversity in multi-generation breeding programs. Acta
Univ. Agri. Suec., Silvestria 95, 42p+4chapters.
Barnes, R.D. 1995. The breeding seedling orchard in the multiple population breeding strategy. Silvae Genet. 44:81-88.
Danusevičius D & Lindgren D 2002. Efficiency of Selection Based on Phenotype, Clone and Progeny Testing in Long-term Breeding. Silvae Genetica 51:19-26.
Danusevičius D & Lindgren D 2004. Progeny testing preceded by phenotypic pre-selection
- timing considerations. Silvae Genetica 53:20-26.
Danusevičius D & Lindgren D 2005. Optimisation of breeding population size for long-term breeding. Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research, 20:18-25.
El-Kassaby YA & Lindgren D 2008. Increasing the Efficiency of Breeding Without
Breeding through Phenotypic Pre-selection in Open Pollinated Progenies. In: Byram ED
(editor) Proceeding 29th STFIC/WFGA meeting in Galveston Texas June 19-22, 2007. p15-
19. http://www.fsl.orst.edu/wfga/index_files/WFGA%20proceedings%202007.pdf
Fedorkov A, Lindgren D, and David A. 2005. Genetic gain and gene diversity following thinning in a half-sib plantation. Silvae Genetica 54:185-189.
Fernandez, J. and Toro, M.A. 2001. Controlling genetic variability by mathematical programming in a selection scheme on an open-pollinated population in Eucalyptus globulus. Theor. Appl. Genet. 102:1056-1064.
Hannrup, B., Jansson, G. and Danell, Ö. 2007. Comparing gain and optimum test size from progeny testing and phenotypic selection in Pinus sylvestris. Can. J. For. Res. 37: 1227-
1235.
Harwood, C.E., Nikles, D.G., Pomroy, P. and Robson, K. 1996. Impact of thinning via phenotypic selection on the genetic base of planted seed production areas. In: Tree
Improvement for Sustainable Tropical Forestry, M.J. Dieter, A.C. Matheson, D.G.
Nikles, C.E. Harwood and S.M. Walker (eds.), Proc. of QFRI-IUFRO Conference, 27
October to 1 November 1996, Caloundra, Queensland, Australia, pp148-153.
Kamalakannan R, Varghese M, Bilir N & Lindgren D 2007. Conversion of a Progeny Trial of Eucalyptus tereticornis to a Seedling Seed Orchard Considering Gain and Fertility. In
Proceedings of the IUFRO Division 2 Joint Conference: Low Input Breeding and
Conservation of Forest Genetic Resources: Antalya, Turkey, 9-13 October 2006. Edited by
Fikret Isik. p 93-99.
Kang, K.S. 2001. Genetic gain and gene diversity of seed orchard crops. Acta Univ. Agri.
Suec. Silvestria 187, 75p+11chapters.
Li H & Lindgren D. 2006. Comparison of phenotype and combined index selection at optimal breeding population size considering gain and gene diversity. Silvae Genetica:13-
19.
Li H, Lindgren D, Danusevicius D, Cui J 2005. Theoretical analyses of testing efficiency in long-term breeding of poplar. Journal of Forestry Research 16:275-280.
Lindgren D 2005. Unbalances in tree breeding. In Fedorkov A (editor) Status, monitoring and targets for breeding programs. Proceedings of the meeting of Nordic forest tree breeders and forest geneticists, Syktyvkar 2005: 45-56.
Lindgren D, Danusevičius D & Rosvall O 2008. Balanced forest tree improvement can be
Questionnaire on efficiency of phenotypic selection 3/5

enhanced by selecting among many parents but keeping balance among grandparents.
Canadian Journal of Forest Research 38(11): 2797–2803.
Lindgren D, Wei RP and Bondesson FL. 1993. Optimal selection from families. Heredity
70:619-621.
Lindgren D. & Wei R-P. 1994. Gain versus effective number. Ed. Lee S. Proceedings -
Nordic Group for Tree Breeding, Edinburgh 6-10 October 1993. 164-177.
Lindgren D. 2008. Frötäkt och frötäktsområden av gran och tall i Sverige. Skogsstyrelsen.
Rapport 8-2008. pp 38.
Lindgren, D & Wei RP 2007. Low-input tree breeding strategies. In Proceedings of the
IUFRO Division 2 Joint Conference: Low Input Breeding and Conservation of Forest
Genetic Resources: Antalya, Turkey, 9-13 October 2006. Edited by Fikret Isik. p 124-138.
Lindgren, D 2003. Low-input tree breeding strategies. In Eucalyptus Plantations –
Research, Management and Development, R.-P. Wei and D. Xu (eds), World
Scientific, Singapore, 149-166.
Lstibůrek M., Mullin T.J., Mackay T.F.C., Huber D., Li B. (2005) Positive assortative mating with family size as a function of parental predicted breeding values. Genetics
171: 1311-1320.
Namkoong, G., Barnes, R.D. and Burley, J. 1980. A philosophy of breeding strategy for tropical forest trees. Dept of Forestry, Oxford, Tropical Forestry Papers 16, 67p.
Rosvall, O. 1999. Enhancing gain from long-term forest tree breeding while conserving genetic diversity. Acta Univ. Agri. Suec. Silvestria 109, 65p+4 chapters.
Ruotsalainen, S. and Lindgren, D. 1998. Predicting genetic gain of backward and forward selection in forest tree breeding. Silvae Genet. 47:42-50.
Shelbourne, C.J.A. 1992. Genetic gains from different kinds of breeding population and seed or plant production population. Suid-Afri. Bosb. 160:49-65.
Son S-G, Varghese M. & Lindgren D. 2002. A program for seedling seed orchards considering breeding value, fertility variation and gene diversity. Proceedings of
Korea Forestry Society on 27th-28th of June p 99-101.
Spanos K, Andersson EW & Lindgren D, 1997. Multigenerational comparison between restricted phenotypic and restricted combined index selection for gain and diversity. In:
Kurm M and Tamm Y (editors), Conservation of Forest Genetic Resources. Nordic Group for Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding Meeting in Estonia June 3-7, 1996. Estonian
Agricultural University, Tartu. SBN 9985-830-11-3. Forestry studies 28:86-100.
Spanos, K.A., Andersson, E.W. and Lindgren, D. 1996. Multi-generation comparison between restricted phenotypic and combined index selection for genetic gain and diversity. In: Conservation of Forest Genetic Resources, M. Kurm and Y. Tamm (eds),
Proc. of Nordic Group for Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding Meeting, 3-7 June 1996,
Estonian Agricultural University, Tartu, Estonia, For. Studies 28:86-100.
Varghese, M., Ravi, N., Son, S.-G. and Lindgren, D. 2003 Variation in fertility and its impact on gene diversity in a seedling seed orchard of Eucalyptus tereticornis. In:
Eucalyptus Plantations – Research, Management and Development, R.-P. Wei and D.
Xu (eds), World Scientific, Singapore, pp111-126.
Wei, R.-P. 1995. Predicting genetic diversity and optimizing gain in breeding programmes.
PhD thesis, ISBN 91-576-4990-1, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå,
Sweden, 64p+12 chapters..
Wei, R.-P. and Lindgren, D. 1995. Optimal family contributions and a linear approximation.
Theor. Pop. Biol. 48:318-332.
Wei, R.-P., Yeh, F.C. and Dhir, N.K. 2002. Investigation of status number following selection from populations under different mating designs. Silvae Genetica 51:87-92.
Wei, X. and Borralho, N.M.G. 2000. Genetic gains and levels of relatedness from best
Questionnaire on efficiency of phenotypic selection 4/5

linear unbiased prediction selection of Eucalyptus urophylla for pulp production in southeastern China. Can. J. For. Res. 30:1601–1607.
Questionnaire on efficiency of phenotypic selection 5/5