Early Assessment of Four Half-sib Family Trials of Pinus patula (Schiede et Deppe in Schlechtendal et Chamisso) in South Africa

Abstract

Four trials of half-sib families of P. patula grouped into four provenances originating from Mexico, have been analysed and compared at age ~ 6¾ years. Clinal variation in the four traits studied (height, diameter at breast height, stem and crown forms) was detected but its expression varied from trial to trial. In the two triple-rectangular lattices, selection of the best families was performed by using the little known Gupta test. The overall best families originated from the north-western part of the distribution area, but at Tweefontein the Oaxaca families (presumably from the var. longipedunculata) were also among the best progenies.