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Performance of Corymbia hybrids in Australia and South Africa
Abstract

Performance of Corymbia hybrids in Australia and South Africa

David J Lee, Jeremy T Brawner and Robin A W Gardner
Abstracts of Eucalypt genetics, p.46
Eucalypt genetics (EucGen19): fundamental and applied research in a post-genome era (Hobart, Australia, 18-Feb-2019–21-Feb-2019)
2019
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https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ae2b97d3c3a539afcd2882a/t/5c661a50fa0d601a6989cff1/1550195286582/Abstracts+EucGen19+v3+15Feb.pdfView
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Abstract

Forestry Sciences
Corymbia species and hybrids are becoming increasingly used in subtropical plantations due to their adaptation to hotter drier sites, and increased pest and disease tolerance compared to Eucalyptus species and hybrids traditionally grown in these areas. Here we evaluate whether Corymbia hybrid families (C. torelliana × C. citriodora subsp. citriodora, C. torelliana × C. citriodora subsp. variegata, C. torelliana × C. henryi) selected in Australia a have similar performance in South Africa. Five Corymbia hybrid progeny trials were evaluated at approximately mid rotation for the pulp focussed industry in South Africa: three trials from contrasting environments in subtropical and tropical environments of eastern Australia and two trials planted on the subtropical Zululand-coastal-plain of South Africa. In each trial, the best-growing 20% of controlled crossed hybrid families grew significantly faster (P = 0.05) than open-pollinated seedlots of the parent species spotted gum controls (either C. citriodora subsp. variegata or C. henryi). Relative performance of hybrid families growing on more than one site displayed consistency in ranking for growth across sites and analysis showed low genotype-by-environment interaction. In Australia, narrow sense heritability estimates for diameter at breast (DBH) and height (Ht) were moderate to strong (DBH: h2 = 0.43 to 0.64; Ht: h2 = 0.34 to 0.77) with a strong positive genetic correlation between the traits (rA = 0.92 to 0.96). In the trials in South Africa with fewer families, narrow sense heritability was lower (DBH: h2 = 0.07 to 0.25; Ht: h2 = 0.29 to 0.66) with a strong positive genetic correlation between the traits (rA = 0.82 to 0.90). These promising results indicate that selection of elite Corymbia hybrid families can be undertaken in South Africa or Australia with confidence that families selected in either country will perform well in the othercountry on sites similar to those evaluated.

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