Genetic Variation in Ability to Withstand Transplanting Shock

A study of genetic differences in ability to withstand transplanting shock was made with slash pine at the University of Florida in 1956 by the junior author. Differences in survival amongst half-sib progenies ranged between 90% and 15%. However, because of variability between blocks the results would be explained by chance alone in one out of ten similar experiments. These results justified a more exhaustive study of the possible significance of genetic differences in transplantability for tree improvement. For this purpose we collected seed from thirty open-pollinated mother trees located in 3 stands in the Piedmont of North Carolina. The seed from each mother tree was kept separate and planted in 5 replicated blocks in the nursery in accordance with the procedure recommended by Wakely et al in 1962. Wakely's nursery planting design is arranged so that the nursery effects are preserved in the outplanting design and hence can be removed from the total sums of squares in experimental results. The field design consisted of 5 randomized blocks with each of the 30 mother trees represented by one row of 20 seedlings in each block, thus a total of 100 seedlings were represented for each mother tree. This design was replicated in one location on 5 planting dates six weeks apart from December to June. A separate planting was made in the N. C. sandhills to test survival ability under stress conditions.

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Author(s): Walter F. Beineke, Thomas O. Perry

Publication: Tree Improvement and Genetics - Southern Forest Tree Improvement Conference - 1965