Genetic control of kraft pulp yield in Eucalyptus globulus

2010 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 917-927 ◽  
Author(s):  
Desmond J. Stackpole ◽  
René E. Vaillancourt ◽  
Geoffrey M. Downes ◽  
Christopher E. Harwood ◽  
Brad M. Potts
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Control ◽  
Eucalyptus Globulus ◽  
Kraft Pulp ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Genetic Correlations ◽  
Basic Density ◽  
Pulp Yield ◽  
Narrow Sense Heritability ◽  
Selection Gradients ◽  
Economic Worth

Pulp yield is an important breeding objective for Eucalyptus globulus Labill., but evaluation of its genetic control and genetic correlations with other traits has been limited by its high assessment cost. We used near infrared spectroscopy to study genetic variation in pulp yield and other traits in a 16-year-old E. globulus trial. Pulp yield was predicted for 2165 trees from 467 open-pollinated families from 17 geographic subraces. Significant differences between subraces and between families within subraces were detected for all traits. The high pulp yield of southern Tasmanian subraces suggested that their economic worth was previously underestimated. The narrow-sense heritability of pulp yield was medium (0.40). The significant positive genetic correlation between pulp yield and diameter (0.52) was at odds with the generally neutral values reported. The average of the reported genetic correlations between pulp yield and basic density (0.50) was also at odds with our nonsignificant estimate. Pulp yield of the subraces increased with increasing latitude, producing a negative correlation with density (–0.58). The absence of genetic correlations within subraces between pulp yield and density suggests that the correlation may be an independent response of the two traits to the same or different selection gradients that vary with latitude.

Development of near infrared reflectance analysis calibrations for estimating genetic parameters for cellulose content in Eucalyptus globulus

2002 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 170-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
C A Raymond ◽  
L R Schimleck
Keyword(s):  
Eucalyptus Globulus ◽  
Kraft Pulp ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Genetic Correlations ◽  
Basic Density ◽  
Pulp Yield ◽  
Cellulose Content ◽  
Infrared Reflectance ◽  
Near Infrared Reflectance ◽  
Reflectance Analysis

Determining kraft pulp yield in the traditional way is slow and expensive, limiting the numbers of samples that may be processed. An alternative is to use a secondary standard, such as cellulose content of the wood, which is strongly correlated with kraft pulp yield. The feasibility and efficiency of predicting cellulose content using near infrared reflectance (NIR) analysis was examined for Eucalyptus globulus Labill. Calibrations for NIR prediction of cellulose content indicated that NIR analysis could be used as a reliable predictor. Standard errors of calibration were 1% or lower, and there was excellent agreement between laboratory and predicted cellulose values. Cellulose content was under moderate genetic control (h2 ranging from 0.32 to 0.57), and genetic correlations with tree diameter and basic density were variable (ranging from –0.11 to –0.51 and –0.33 to 0.67, respectively). The advantages, disadvantages, and potential applications of NIR analysis for predicting cellulose content are examined.

Radial variation in Kraft pulp yield and cellulose content in Eucalyptus globulus wood across three contrasting sites predicted by near infrared spectroscopy

2012 ◽  
Vol 42 (8) ◽  
pp. 1577-1586 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geoffrey M. Downes ◽  
Christopher E. Harwood ◽  
John Wiedemann ◽  
Nick Ebdon ◽  
Helen Bond ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Eucalyptus Globulus ◽  
Kraft Pulp ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Radial Variation ◽  
Site Quality ◽  
Small Samples ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Pulp Yield ◽  
Cellulose Content ◽  
Radial Sampling

There is little published information on the variability of pulp yield within eucalypt stems. This is primarily due to the difficulty in measuring pulp yield in small samples, especially those obtained nondestructively. Thus, information of the effect of site, climate, and silviculture on pulp yield variability is lacking, minimizing its consideration in the economic optimization of pulpwood production. Near infrared spectroscopic measurement of pulp yield directly from intact wood surfaces at a small, radial sampling interval provides forest managers with opportunities to better understand and manage its sources of variability. Calibrations based on solid wood samples were constructed to describe radial variation in Kraft pulp yield and cellulose content using intact wood samples from Eucalyptus globulus Labill. Plantations at three sites with contrasting annual rainfall were studied. Pulp yield and cellulose content were higher at the more productive, wetter sites. Outer wood near the cambium had pulp yield values up to 8% higher than those at the pith. There was no clear intra-annual cycle of variation. The more productive sites exhibited significantly steeper pith-to-bark increases in pulp yield than the driest site. This has implications for optimizing pulp productivity by considering rotation length and site quality.

Estimation of basic density of Eucalyptus globulus using near-infrared spectroscopy

1999 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 194-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurence R Schimleck ◽  
Anthony J Michell ◽  
Carolyn A Raymond ◽  
Allie Muneri
Keyword(s):  
Infrared Spectra ◽  
Eucalyptus Globulus ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Spectroscopic Method ◽  
Basic Density ◽  
Pulp Yield ◽  
Density Measurements ◽  
Near Infrared Spectra ◽  
Chemical Pulping ◽  
Accuracy Of Prediction

Basic density and pulp yield are two very important factors in determining the economics of chemical pulping. A method for estimating pulp yields has been developed by measuring the near-infrared spectra of wood powders from cores withdrawn from standing eucalypt plantation trees using motorized equipment. This paper examines the precision with which the basic density of the woods might be predicted from the same near-infrared spectra. We found that the basic densities of woods from plantation-grown 8-year-old Eucalyptus globulus Labill. subsp. globulus (Tasmanian blue gum) ranging from 378 to 656 kg/m3 could be determined with an accuracy of prediction of ca. ±30 kg/m3. This error compares with the accuracy of prediction of pilodyn density measurements on similar samples of ca. ±22 kg/m3. The basic densities of increment cores having relatively low basic densities were consistently overestimated and those having relatively high basic densities were consistently underestimated by the near-infrared spectroscopic method.

scholarly journals Genetic Variation of Physical and Chemical Wood Properties of Eucalyptus globulus

2005 ◽  
Vol 54 (1-6) ◽  
pp. 160-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. A. Apiolaza ◽  
C. A. Raymond ◽  
B. J. Yeo
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Eucalyptus Globulus ◽  
Genetic Correlations ◽  
Fibre Length ◽  
Microfibril Angle ◽  
Basic Density ◽  
Wood Properties ◽  
Pulp Yield ◽  
Cellulose Content ◽  
Wood Processing

Abstract This study considered the degree of genetic variation for diameter (DBH), basic density (BD), predicted pulp yield (PPY), fibre length (FL), microfibril angle (MFA) and cellulose content (CC) amongst eight subraces of Eucalyptus globulus growing in a field trial in NW Tasmania. There were significant subrace effects for BD, FL and CC. This variation affected the relative profitability of the subraces for pulp production. On average, the most profitable subraces (on NPV/ha over the base population mean) were Strzelecki Ranges ($862.04), Western Otways ($657.80) and Strzelecki Foothills ($576.81). The genetic control (heritability) of variation in DBH, FL and MFA was moderate (0.15 < h2< 0.27), while control for BD, PPY and CC was high (h2> 0.40). Genetic correlations between growth and wood properties were not statistically significant, except for DBHMFA (-0.86). Most genetic correlations amongst wood properties were outside the parametric space (< -1 or >1), but there were significant correlations between BDMFA (-0.70) and PPY-CC (0.82). The empirical response to selection on an index based on a pulp wood objective (which included volume and basic density) resulted in a gain of 4.3% for DBH, 7.9% for BD and marginal changes for all other traits, with a net impact in profit of $1,270/ha. However, future profit calculations will need to consider the effect of FL, MFA and CC on the economics of wood processing to fully evaluate the economic impact of breeding.

Effect of fertilizer on wood properties of Eucalyptus globulus

2000 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 136-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
C A Raymond ◽  
A Muneri
Keyword(s):  
Eucalyptus Globulus ◽  
Fibre Length ◽  
Basic Density ◽  
Wood Properties ◽  
Pulp Yield ◽  
Growth Responses ◽  
P Concentration ◽  
Tree Growth Rate ◽  
Western Australian ◽  
P Fertilizers

The effects of N and P fertilizers applied to Eucalyptus globulus Labill. at plantation establishment on basic density, fibre length, fibre coarseness, predicted pulp yield, and N and P concentration in the wood were examined by sampling four fertilizer factorial trials: three in Victoria and one in Western Australia. Treatments sampled were control, maximum levels of N and P by themselves and combined. Growth responses varied across sites with significant growth responses at the Victorian sites but no response at the Western Australian site. An interaction was suggested between rainfall and the effects of the fertilizer; wood properties at the drier sites were detrimentally affected by fertilizer but there was little effect at the wetter sites. On the two drier sites, application of both N and P, alone or in combination, resulted in changes in density, shorter fibres, and slightly lower predicted pulp yield. Addition of both N and P increased the levels of these nutrients in the wood at the three Victorian sites. Changes occurred in wood properties in the absence of growth responses to the applied fertilizer indicating that these changes were not induced by changing tree growth rate.

The genetic variation in the timing of heteroblastic transition in Eucalyptus globulus is stable across environments

2011 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 170 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. G. Hamilton ◽  
P. A. Tilyard ◽  
D. R. Williams ◽  
R. E. Vaillancourt ◽  
T. J. Wardlaw ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Phase Change ◽  
Eucalyptus Globulus ◽  
Developmental Change ◽  
Genetic Correlations ◽  
Genotype By Environment Interaction ◽  
Environment Interaction ◽  
Narrow Sense Heritability ◽  
Genotype By Environment ◽  
Analyse Data

Eucalyptus globulus is one of the best known examples of a heteroblastic plant. It exhibits a dramatic phase change from distinctive juvenile to adult leaves, but the timing of this transition varies markedly. We examined the genetic variation in the timing of heteroblastic transition using five large open-pollinated progeny trials established in north-western Tasmania. We used univariate and multi-variate mixed models to analyse data on the presence/absence of adult or intermediate foliage at age 2 years from a total of 14 860 trees across five trials, as well as height to heteroblastic phase change from one trial. Up to 566 families and 15 geographic subraces of E. globulus were represented in the trials. The timing of the heteroblastic transition was genetically variable and under strong genetic control at the subrace and within-subrace level, with single-trial narrow-sense heritability estimates for the binary trait averaging 0.50 (range 0.44–0.65). The degree of quantitative trait differentiation in the timing of heteroblastic transition among subraces, as measured by QST, exceeded the published level of neutral molecular marker (FST) differentiation in all cases, arguing that diversifying selection has contributed to shaping broad-scale patterns of genetic differentiation. Most inter-trial genetic correlations were close to one at the subrace and additive genetic levels, indicating that the genetic variation in this important developmental change is expressed in a stable manner and that genotype-by-environment interaction is minimal across the environments studied.

Estimation of whole-tree kraft pulp yield of Eucalyptus nitens using near-infrared spectra collected from increment cores

2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (12) ◽  
pp. 2797-2805 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurence R Schimleck ◽  
Peter D Kube ◽  
Carolyn A Raymond ◽  
Anthony J Michell ◽  
Jim French
Keyword(s):  
Kraft Pulp ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Nir Spectroscopy ◽  
Pulp Yield ◽  
Eucalyptus Nitens ◽  
Increment Core ◽  
Traditional Assessment ◽  
Shining Gum ◽  
A Site ◽  
Whole Tree

Eucalyptus nitens (Deane and Maiden) Maiden (shining gum) is widely grown for kraft pulp production. Improving the kraft pulp yield of E. nitens increases plantation profitability but traditional assessment is slow and expensive, which hinders improvement. Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy provides a rapid and inexpensive method for estimating pulp yield, but studies have been limited to estimating whole-tree pulp yield using whole-tree composite samples obtained destructively. For whole-tree pulp-yield calibrations to be used non-destructively they must be applied to increment cores. In this study we used a Tasmanian E. nitens whole-tree pulp yield calibration to estimate the whole-tree pulp yields of trees from a site not included in the calibration. This was done using NIR spectra from increment cores and whole-tree composite chips. Predictions of whole-tree pulp yield based on increment cores were better than those obtained using whole-tree composite chips. The accuracy of pulp-yield predictions was greatly improved by adding a small number of prediction-set samples to the calibration sets. Calibrations for estimating whole-tree pulp yield were also obtained using NIR spectra from milled cores and whole-tree composite chips. The calibrations had similar statistics, indicating that it is possible to obtain calibrations for estimating whole-tree pulp yield based on increment-core NIR spectra.

scholarly journals The Effects of Drying Temperature and Method of Assessment on the Expression of Genetic Variation in Gross Shrinkage of Eucalyptus globulus Wood Samples

2009 ◽  
Vol 58 (1-6) ◽  
pp. 252-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew G. Hamilton ◽  
C. E. Harwood ◽  
B. M. Potts
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Eucalyptus Globulus ◽  
Genetic Correlations ◽  
Basic Density ◽  
Strongly Correlated ◽  
Drying Temperature ◽  
Additive Genetic Variation ◽  
Tangential Shrinkage ◽  
Drying Treatment ◽  
Method Of Assessment

Abstract Genetic variation in wood-sample gross shrinkage and basic density was examined in a Eucalyptus globulus base population trial growing in Tasmania, Australia. Gross shrinkage, which includes all components of shrinkage including collapse, was assessed in four ways (calliper- and visually-assessed tangential shrinkage, volumetric shrinkage and radial shrinkage) on samples dried at three temperatures (22°C, 60°C and 105°C). Significant differences between subraces were observed using all measures of gross shrinkage for two or more of the three drying treatments. Furthermore, significant additive genetic variation within subraces was observed in calliper- and visually-assessed gross shrinkage under two or more of the drying treatments, with narrowsense heritabilities greater than or equal to 0.35. There was no obvious trend in heritabilities or coefficients of additive genetic variation with drying temperature. Under the 105°C drying treatment, subrace correlations among calliper-, visually- and volume-assessed gross shrinkage were positive and very strong (≥ 0.97), while these measures were less strongly correlated with radial gross shrinkage at the subrace level (≤ 0.77). Withinsubrace genetic correlations among the first three measures were also strongly positive (≥ 0.95). These high genetic correlations suggest that different drying regimes and the calliper, visual and volume methods of assessment could be used interchangeably to select for reduced tangential gross shrinkage. Estimated subrace and genetic correlations between basic density and measures of gross shrinkage were universally negative (i.e. favourable), although not all were significantly different to zero.

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