Genetic variation in seed and cone characteristics in a clonal seed orchard of scots pine (Pinus sylvestis L.) grown in Kastamonu-Turkey

Abstract

Cone and seed characteristics of scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) were investigated in a clonal seed orchard for 2006. The orchard was established in 1995 in an area of 7.2 ha, at Taşköprü/Kastamonu, northern Turkey and includes 30 clones. The results showed that significant genetic variation exists among clones for cone wet weight and dry weight; cone width and length; total, fertile and infertile scale number; total, sound and empty seed number; 1000 seed weight; apophysis length, width and thickness; seed length and width; wing length and width; seed potential, seed efficiency and cone volume. Coefficients of variation within clones were mostly bigger than among clones, indicating high variation within the population. The respective broad sense heritability values of clone mean basis for cone dry weight, cone width, 1000 seed weight were 0.59, 0.58 and 0.57. The broad sense heritability and variation data obtained in this study are very valuable in the management practices of the existing Scots pine clonal seed orchards and can be also used for better planning of advanced generation of clonal seed orchards in Turkey. © 2010 University of Bucharest.