Clonal variation depending on Cu, Fe and Zn element concentrations in seed orchards

Abstract

In order to increase the existing forest assets and to maintain sustainable forestry, breeding studies are carried out in forestry. One of the most important practices in these breeding studies is seed orchards. The purpose of seed orchards is to obtain better quality seeds per unit area. In this study, plant nutritional elements were used for the first time to determine clonal variation. The antagonism of nutrients and their accumulation rate in clones were investigated. The research was carried out in the Scots pine (Pinus sylvstris) clonal seed orchard in Taşköprü. Needle samples were taken from 8 ramets of 30 clones in the seed orchard in 3 replications and 240 trees were randomly sampled. In addition, soil samples were taken from the seed orchard. The samples taken were first washed in the laboratory and then two different drying processes were applied to the samples. After drying, samples were prepared by the melting method and then Cu, Fe and Zn element concentration analyzes were performed with the ICP-OES device. The results obtained were evaluated by analysis of variance and Tukey test with the help of Minitab 18 package program and differences between clones were tried to be determined depending on element concentrations. In the findings obtained, it was determined that there were significant differences between the clones in terms of the studied elements at the p<0.05 probability level.