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Genetic variation and genotype-environment interactions in short rotation Populus plantations in southern Europe

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Abstract

Growth and production in the first year, as additional selection criteria, were assessed for nine poplar clones to be used as short rotation woody crops (SRWC) in the production of biomass for energy purposes. In order to identify the most promising clones in terms of growth and yield and also to assess their stability, trials were established at different locations in Spain. The majority of these clones, which form part of the European list of base materials, have frequently been used in plantations aimed at timber production but not for biomass in Mediterranean conditions. Others, such as those selected in Italy specifically for biomass production (currently provisionally admitted), are being tested for the first time under different soil and climatic conditions in Southwest Europe. The early selection of clones for rapid juvenile growth provides a valuable additional input to the clonal selection process, especially where very short rotations are desired (no more than 3 years). In any case, determining clonal stability in terms of growth is of great use not only when deciding on the clones to be used in plantations but also when developing breeding programs. ANOVA and Genotype plus Genotype × Environment (GGE) biplot analyses were used to analyse the growth and stability of the clones, which were then ranked according to mean performance and stability. Differences were detected between clones as well as between the different environments tested. The biplot analysis allowed different groups of clones to be identified according to their performance and degree of interaction displayed, thus providing useful information for the selection process. The production of aboveground biomass in the first vegetative period ranged from 1.7 to 8.0 Mg DM ha−1 at the different sites. ‘Monviso’, ‘Guardi’, ‘AF2’ and ‘2000 verde’ were the most productive clones whereas ‘Unal’, ‘Pegaso’ and ‘USA 49-177’ were the least productive. The stability analysis identified ‘AF2’, ‘Guardi’, ‘I-214’ and ‘MC’ as more stable clones while ‘Monviso’, ‘2000 verde’, ‘Unal’, ‘Pegaso’ and ‘USA 49-177’ were found to be specifically adapted to certain environments. This implies that where information on site conditions is not available, the ‘AF2’ and ‘Guardi’ clones offer greater assurance of successful establishment and higher initial growth. The growth of ‘Monviso’ ‘2000 verde’ ‘Unal’ ‘Pegaso’ and ‘USA 49-177’ clones is highly dependent on site conditions during the establishment phase. Similarly, the SH (Shore Henares river) and LT (La Tallada) sites were identified as the most highly discriminative environments for the set of clones while CS (Cubo de la Solana) and AR (Atarfe) were identified as those where performance levels were average.

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Acknowledgments

This work has been supported by RTA project 00182.02.01 and has been co-financed with funds from FEDER. The authors wish to thank J. Rueda, J. L. García Caballero and A. Ramos for maintaining the trials and the research support staff, J. L. Montoto, P. de la Iglesia and J. Perez, for their dedication and efficiency in the data collection process. We also wish to thank Adam Collins for checking the English version of this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Investigación Forestal CIFOR–INIA, Crta. de la Coruña km 7,5, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    Hortensia Sixto & Isabel Cañellas

  2. IRTA-Fundación Mas Badia, La Tallada, 17134, Girona, Spain

    Jordi Salvia

  3. Área Ingeniería Agroforestal, EU de Ingenierías Técnicas, Universidad de Oviedo, Mieres, Asturias, Spain

    Marcos Barrio

  4. Departamento de Energía, CEDER-CIEMAT, Autovía de Navarra, S-56, Lubia, 42290, Soria, Spain

    Mª Pilar Ciria

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  1. Hortensia Sixto
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  2. Jordi Salvia
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  3. Marcos Barrio
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  4. Mª Pilar Ciria
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  5. Isabel Cañellas
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Correspondence to Hortensia Sixto.

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Sixto, H., Salvia, J., Barrio, M. et al. Genetic variation and genotype-environment interactions in short rotation Populus plantations in southern Europe. New Forests 42, 163–177 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11056-010-9244-6

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