Early Performance of CAMCORE Introductions of Pinus patula in Brazil, Colombia and South Africa

Abstract

Seeds were collected from 13 provenances and 282 mother trees of Pinus patula Schiede & Deppe across a 900 km transect from Tamaulipas to Oaxaca, Mexico by the CAMCORE Cooperative, North Carolina State University, USA. Thirty-three provenance/progeny tests were established in Brazil, Colombia, and South Africa and assessed for height and diameter (DBH) at three years of age. Sources from southern Oaxaca (Cuajimoloyas, Manzanal, and Tlacuache) showed great susceptibility to cold at Jessievale and Commonage, South Africa (26% survival) versus the other P. patula sources (70% survival). Average height growth at three years of age exceeded 5 m in tests at Los Guadales, Colombia, and Maxwell, South Africa. The best provenances for height growth and volume in both Brazil and South Africa were those from the central part of the P. patula range: Potrero de Monroy (Veracruz), Zacualtipan, (Hidalgo) and Pinal de Amoles (Queretaro). In the Andean mountains of Colombia, the southern Oaxacan sources of P. patula performed as well as the best sources from central Mexico. Some CAMCORE open-pollinated families performed as well as or better in height growth than advanced generation control lots of P. patula, P. taeda or P. elliottii in 29 of 33 tests.