Browsing by Subject "jalostushyöty"

The goal of the research was to find out genetic gain and correlation of stem growth and quality traits in progeny trials of birch. Measurements and observation s of many traits are slow and expensive work. The costs could be decrease if some of the traits could be leaved unmeasured based on sufficient correlation between different traits. It’s very important to know association between different traits. Association can be even harmful. While some important trait becomes better some other can become worse. The internal and the external quality traits have a great importance for wood processing industry. The material of the research consists of eleven progeny trials established by The Finnish Forest Research Institute. Growth and quality trait were measured or observed. Measurements and observations were made at the age between 9-20 years. Change in mean of improved trait represents progress in tree improvement. This change is called genetic gain and it’s impressed usually as a relative value compared with mean of unimproved reference material. Reference material can even be other genetically improved material of different degree. Association between different traits was impressed with Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. Nonparametric method was chosen because some traits were observed in rank order scales. Inconvenient for tree improvement is when association between growth and important quality traits is harmful. In this study was mainly found out remarkably genetic gain as well in growth as in quality traits in comparison with unimproved natural stand origins and even partly with earlier produced improved breeding material of different breeding degree. Correlation between stem volume and diameter at breast height were higher than between stem volume and height. There were several positive statistically significant correlations between growth and stem quality traits. Harmful correlation was found out between diameter at breast height and branch quality. Correlation between number of limbs and ramicorns had harmful correlation in some trials but correlations were quite weak. Ocular estimated general quality correlated well between its different factors. The costs of the practical forest tree breeding can be decreased by measuring fewer traits. Diameter at breast height is easy and quick trait to measure and correlate well between stem height and stem volume. Stem height could be leaved unmeasured. Because general quality correlates well between its different factors, other factors are not necessary to measure observe. Further research is needed within the reliability of the ocular observation. Differences in scaling within different person are important for reliability. Also the appropriate number of scales should be researched.