Larch breeding in Saxony – A case study Partner N° 8 Staatsbetrieb Sachsenforst

Author: Heino Wolf & Doris Krabel 2 Department: Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding Introduction and distribution of Larch in Saxony In 18th century introduction to Saxony Period of trial and error 1930ies European Larch provenance trials in Ore mountains established by RUBNER 1950/60ies ›Hybrid breeding ›II. International Larch provenance trial 4,6 % of Larch in state owned forests (SOF) 0,5 % of Larch in artificial regeneration in SOF

Staatsbetrieb Sachsenforst Author: Heino Wolf & Doris Krabel 3 Department: Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding Major results of provenance research Significant differences in growth, stem form and resistance corresponding to other results Provenances from the Sudetian area are favoured Planting of Larch recommended up to an altitude of 500 m a. s. l.

Staatsbetrieb Sachsenforst Author: Heino Wolf & Doris Krabel 4 Department: Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding Change of conditions Increasing damages by air pollution in the 1960ies in mountainous regions especially above 500 m a. s. l. Significant indications on better growth and improved resistance of hybrid larch compared to parent species Improvement of planting success by selection of clones as parent trees and cross breeding

Staatsbetrieb Sachsenforst Author: Heino Wolf & Doris Krabel 5 Department: Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding Sachsenkarte mit Basisklima Klassen der neuen Klimagliederung

Staatsbetrieb Sachsenforst Author: Heino Wolf & Doris Krabel 6 Department: Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding Hybrid larch – breeding Since 1950 phenotypic selection of specific clones for hybrid crossings from L. decidua and L. kaempferi e. g. in the provenance trial of RUBNER 1956 begin of hybrid crossing Objectives of breeding › Improvement of growth and stem form as well as minimizing branchiness › Increase of SO 2 resistance › Cultivation suitability above 600 m a. s. l. as replacement of damaged Norway spruce stands until the end of air pollution (about 2050)

Staatsbetrieb Sachsenforst Author: Heino Wolf & Doris Krabel 7 Department: Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding Hybrid larch – breeding 1959 – 1990: 24 trial plots with hybrid larch established on sites between 125 m and 860 m a. s. l. (river Elbe valley to Fichtelberg area) › Testing of about 100 clones of L. decidua, L. kaempferi › Inter/intra-species combinations in comparison with parent spp. › Little number of trees per replicate (4-16), 4-8 replicates 2001: Establishment of EU-Hybrid larch experiment on 4 sites in Saxony and Thuringia › Progeny testing of Hybrid larch seed orchards from the EU in comparison with progenies from European-larch provenances › 36 plants per replicate, 3 replicates

Staatsbetrieb Sachsenforst Author: Heino Wolf & Doris Krabel 8 Department: Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding Results Compared with L. decidua-standards, hybrids showed superior growth and resistance related to air pollution as well as less damage by snow/ice e. g. hybrid-larch combinations “Fichtelberg” and “Marienberg” In most cases, hybrid-larch combinations “Cunnersdorf I and II” as well as “Graupa I and II” showed better straightness of the stem than the L. decidua-standard

Staatsbetrieb Sachsenforst Author: Heino Wolf & Doris Krabel 9 Department: Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding Height growth of hybrid larches on 15 trial sites at the age 15 to 35 years

Staatsbetrieb Sachsenforst Author: Heino Wolf & Doris Krabel 10 Department: Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding Stem form of hybrid larch

Staatsbetrieb Sachsenforst Author: Heino Wolf & Doris Krabel 11 Department: Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding Results Basic material for hybrid combinations category tested › 7 L. decidua and L. kaempferi-clones with unlimited approval › 3 L. decidua and L. kaempferi-clones with limited approval › 7 hybrid seed orchards establishes in SN, ST, TH › 2 seed orchards category “tested“, 1 SO in TH Use of forest productive material › Suitable to altitudes up to 600 and 800 m a. s. l. with no regional limitations in case of combinations with better stem forms › Limited to mountainous and air-polluted regions in case of combinations with minor stem quality

Staatsbetrieb Sachsenforst Author: Heino Wolf & Doris Krabel 12 Department: Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding Procurement of FRM Plantation of rows with hybrid larch combinations as basic material for auto-vegetative propagation by cuttings Repeated crossings and auto-vegetative propagation by cuttings Establishment of seed orchards › Hybrid proportion ranges between 24 and 92 % Low demand in Saxony Demand from Sweden and Ireland

Staatsbetrieb Sachsenforst Author: Heino Wolf & Doris Krabel 13 Department: Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding Percentage of hybrids in seeds of the SO Neundorfer Hang

Staatsbetrieb Sachsenforst Author: Heino Wolf & Doris Krabel 14 Department: Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding Prospects Conservation breeding, Evaluation of experiments Re-establishment of seed orchards Crossing of F2-combinations Implementation of a programme to increase dendro mass production Improvement of dissemination of results by › Leaf lets › Seminars and excursions in forest districts › Establishment of hot spots on trial plots