Wood Properties and Genetic Improvement of Radiata Pine

Authors: Rowland D. Burdon*
Publication: New Zealand Journal of Forestry, Volume N.Z.J.For. 2010, Issue N.Z.J.For. 55(2) 2010, pp 22-27, Aug 2010
Publisher: New Zealand Institute of Forestry

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Abstract: Rowland D. Burdon replies to previous articles on tree breeding with a sharp focs on wood properties Wood quality in recent harvests of New Zealand radiata pine has often been disappointing, with poor stiffness, drying degrade, and instability in service, associated with radical silviculture and short rotations. This has raised understandable concerns over limited past commitment to genetic improvement of wood properties. While prospects of genetic gain in wood properties had long been researched, with promising results, forest growers and wood processors were, until recently, unwilling to risk gains in volume production by calling for genetic improvement of wood properties. There are genetic tradeoffs, or adverse genetic correlations, between stem volume and most wood properties. These demand good information on the strength of the trade-offs and, above all, on the comparative economic weights of the traits concerned. Such information, however, is inherently elusive, since the trade-offs effectively operate at the whole-crop level at harvest age. Yet the breeder generally needs to select on the performance (or molecular attributes) of young individual trees.

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