Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Growth and cold hardiness of intervarietal hybrids of douglas-fir

  • Published:
Theoretical and Applied Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Potentials for improvement of the interior variety of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. ‘glauca’) by hybridization with the coastal variety (P.m. var. ‘menziesii’) were explored. The primary objective was to assess possibilities for increasing growth potentials of the interior variety while maintaining adaptation to relatively cold inland environments. Seventy full-sib hybrid families and their half-sib parental lines were grown in two contrasting environments common to the interior variety. Nine traits related to growth, phenology, and freezing tolerance in 4-year-old trees were compared.

For traits related to growth (height and diameter) in the inland environment, hybrids equaled the growth of the coastal variety and exceeded the interior variety by 40 percent. For traits related to adaptation (bud burst, bud set, frost damage, tree form, and freezing tolerance), hybrids were intermediate but approached levels characteristic of the interior variety. Survival of hybrids equaled that of the interior variety and was superior to that of the coastal variety.

Hybrid characters could not be predicted reliably from those of parental lines. Yet, quantitative genetic analyses suggest that expression of characters related to growth depends on nonadditive genetic effects, but expression of those related to adaptation is somewhat dependent on additive effects.

Realization of the tremendous potential of hybridization for improvement of the interior variety will require at least one backcross generation or additional crosses utilizing introgressed populations.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Literature

  • Allen, G.S.: Factors affecting the viability and germination behavior of coniferous seed. IV. Stratification period and incubation temperature, Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco. For. Chron. 36, 18–36 (1960)

    Google Scholar 

  • Allen, G.S.: Testing Douglas-fir seed for provenance. Proc. Int. Seed Test. Assoc. 26, 388–403 (1961)

    Google Scholar 

  • Baldwin, H.I.; Murphy, D.: Rocky Mountain Douglas- fir succeeds in New Hampshire. Fox For. Notes 67 (1956)

  • Campbell, R.K.; Sorensen, F.C.: Cold-acclimation in seedling Douglas-fir related to phenology and provenance. Ecology 54, 1148–1151 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Clausen, J.: Phenotypic expression of genotypes in contrasting environments. Scot. Plant Breed. Stn. Rep., pp. 41–51 (1958)

  • Clausen, J.: Gene systems regulating characters of ecological races and subspecies. Proc. 10th Int. Congr. Genet. 1, 434–443. Univ. Toronto Press (1959)

    Google Scholar 

  • Clausen, J.; Hiesey, W.M.: The balance between coherence and variation in evolution. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (Wash.) 46, 494–506 (1960)

    Google Scholar 

  • Duffield, J.W.: Techniques and possibilities for Douglas-fir breeding. J. For. 48, 41–45 (1950)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferrell, W.K.; Woodard, E.S.: Effects of seed origin on drought resistance of Douglas-fir Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco, Ecology 47, 499–503 (1966)

    Google Scholar 

  • Gerhold, H.D.: Growth and winter injury of Douglas-fir in a three year provenance demonstration. Proc. 13th Northeast. For. Tree Improve. Conf. 8 pp. (1965)

  • Haddock, P.G.; Walters, J.; Kozak, A.: Growth of coastal and interior provenances of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco at Vancouver and Haney in British Columbia. Univ. B.C. Res. Pap. 79 (1967)

  • Hiesey, W.M.: The genetic-physiologic structure of species complexes in relation to environment. Proc. 11th Int. Congr. Genet., pp. 438–445. New York: Pergamon Press 1964

    Google Scholar 

  • Hiesey, W.M.; Nobs, M.A.: Genetic and transplant studies on contrasting species and ecological races of the Achillea millefolium complex. Bot. Gaz. 131, 245–259 (1970)

    Google Scholar 

  • Irgens-Moller, H.: Geographic variation in growth patterns of Douglas-fir. Silvae Genet. 17, 106–110 (1968)

    Google Scholar 

  • Levitt, J.: Responses of plants to environmental stresses. New York: Acad. Press 1972

    Google Scholar 

  • Little, E. L., Jr.: Atlas of United States Trees. Vol. 1: Conifers and important hardwoods. USDA For. Serv. Misc. Publ. 1146 (1971)

  • Nilsson, B.: Racial hybridization in Pinus sylvestris. Analysis of a partial diallel cross design. Roy. Coll. For. (Sweden) Res. Note 8 (1970)

  • Nilsson, B.: Recent results of inter-provenance crosses in Sweden and the implications for breeding. Roy. Coll. For. (Sweden) Res. Note 12 (1973)

  • Nilsson, B.; Andersson, E.: Spruce and pine racial hybrid variations in northern Europe. Roy. Coll. For. (Sweden) Res. Note 6 (1969)

  • Orr-Ewing, A.L.: Inter- and intraspecific crossing in Douglas-fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco. Silvae Genet. 15, 121–126 (1966)

    Google Scholar 

  • Orr-Ewing, A.L.; Fraser, A.R.; Karlsson, I.: Interracial crosses with Douglas-fir. Early field results. B.C. For. Serv. Res. Note 55 (1972)

  • Pharis, R.P.; Ferrell, W.K.: Differences in drought resistance between coastal and inland sources of Douglas-fir. Can. J. Bot. 44, 1651–1659 (1966)

    Google Scholar 

  • von Rudloff, E.: Chemosystematic studies in the genus Pseudotsuga. III. Population differences in British Columbia as determined by volatile leaf oil analysis. Can. J. For. Res. 3, 443–452 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Sakai, A.; Weiser, C.J.: Freezing resistance of trees in North America with reference to tree regions. Ecology 54, 118–126 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Sorensen, F.C.: Two-year results of a west-east transect provenance test of Douglas-fir in Oregon. USDA For. Serv. Res. Note PNW-72 (1967)

  • Stairs, G.R.: Cold hardiness in intra-specific hybrids of tulip poplar. Proc. 15th Northeast. For. Tree Improv. Conf., pp. 15–17 (1968)

  • Steel, R.G.D.; Torrie, J.H.: Principles and procedures of statistics. New York: McGraw-Hill 1960

    Google Scholar 

  • Stephan, B.R.: Über Anfälligkeit und Resistenz von Douglasien-Herkünften gegenüber Rhabdocline pseudotsugae. Silvae Genet. 22, 149–153 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Stern, K.: Beiträge zum geographischen Variations-muster der Douglasie. Silvae Genet. 23, 53–58 (1974)

    Google Scholar 

  • Timmis, R.; Worrall, J.: Environmental control of cold acclimation in Douglas-fir during germination, active growth, and rest. Can. J. For. Res. 5, 464–477 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  • Woessner, R.A.: Crossing among loblolly pines indigenous to different areas as a means of genetic improvement. Silvae Genet. 21, 35–39 (1972a)

    Google Scholar 

  • Woessner, R.A.: Growth patterns of one-year-old loblolly pine seed sources and interprovenance crosses under contrasting edaphic conditions. For. Sci. 18, 205–210 (1972b)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wright, J.W.; Kung, F.H.; Read, R.A.; Lemmien, W.A.; Bright, J.N.: Genetic variation in Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir. Silvae Genet. 20, 54–60 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Research Geneticist, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Ogden, Utah, USA

    G. E. Rehfeldt

Authors
  1. G. E. Rehfeldt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Communicated by H.F. Linskens

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rehfeldt, G.E. Growth and cold hardiness of intervarietal hybrids of douglas-fir. Theoret. Appl. Genetics 50, 3–15 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00273790

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00273790

Key words

Search

Navigation