Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Analysis of non-additive genetic effects in Norway spruce

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Tree Genetics & Genomes Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Genetic variance includes both additive and non-additive components, and the latter can be partitioned into dominance and epistatic variance. Additive genetic variance has been the main source of genetic improvement in most tree breeding programs and the genetic gain achieved has mostly been deployed through open-pollinated seed orchards. However, non-additive effects could be exploited in alternative deployment programs and provide additional genetic gain. Thus, knowledge of non-additive effects is essential for constructing robust genetic models and evaluating vegetative deployment systems, particularly for clonal forestry. In this study, we used data drawn from seven Norway spruce full-sib and three half-sib clonal trials to test and compare different models partitioning genetic effects into additive, dominance, and epistatic components for height and diameter. Simpler models provided more robust estimates of additive and non-additive effects, whereas more complex models provided more detail and insight in performance at single sites and G × E patterns, but with less reliable estimates. In this study, we cannot clearly distinguish the size and importance of dominance and epistatic effects. However, the total non-additive effects seem to be substantial, being around 80–90% of the additive, and were of the magnitude required to consider clonal forestry as an alternative to current deployment systems. Additive correlations largely followed the expected patterns based on seed zones and late spring frost incidence. Clonal correlations were generally lower than the additive implying that G × E interactions were stronger for non-additive effects.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Araújo JA, Borralho NMG, Dehon G (2011) The importance and type of non-additive genetic effects for growth in Eucalyptus globulus. Tree Genet Genomes 8:327–337. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11295-011-0443-x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baltunis BS, Huber DA, White TL, Goldfarb B, Stelzer HE (2007) Genetic analysis of early field growth of loblolly pine clones and seedlings from the same full-sib families. Can J For Res 37:195–205. https://doi.org/10.1139/x06-203

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baltunis BS, Wu HX, Dungey HS, Mullin TJT, Brawner JT (2008) Comparisons of genetic parameters and clonal value predictions from clonal trials and seedling base population trials of radiata pine. Tree Genet Genomes 5:269–278. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11295-008-0172-y

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bentzer BG, Foster GS, Hellberg AR, Podzorski AC (1988) Genotype x environment interaction in Norway spruce involving three levels of genetic control: seed source, clone mixture, and clone. Can J For Res 18:1172–1181

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berlin M, Jansson G, Högberg K-A (2015) Genotype by environment interaction in the southern Swedish breeding population of Picea abies using new climatic indices. Scand J For Res 30:112–121. https://doi.org/10.1080/02827581.2014.978889

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Borralho NM (1994) Heterogeneous selfing rates and dominance effects in estimating heritabilities from open-pollinated progeny. Can J For Res 24:1079–1082

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burdon RD, Shelbourne CJA (1974) The use of vegetative propagation for genetic and physiological information. N Z J For Sci 4:418–425

    Google Scholar 

  • Cannell MGR, Sheppard LJ, Cahalan CM (1988) C effects and second generation clone performance in Picea sitchensis and Pinus contorta. Silv Genet 37:15–19

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen Z-Q, Karlsson B, Wu HX (2017) Patterns of additive genotype-by-environment interaction in tree height of Norway spruce in southern and central Sweden. Tree Genet Genomes 13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11295-017-1103-6

  • Costa e Silva J, Borralho NM, Potts BM (2004) Additive and non-additive genetic parameters from clonally replicated and seedling progenies of Eucalyptus globulus. Theor Appl Genet 108:1113–1119. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00122-003-1524-5

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Costa e Silva J, Dutkowski GW, Borralho NMG (2005) Across-site heterogeneity of genetic and environmental variances in the genetic evaluation of Eucalyptus globulus trials for height growth. Ann For Sci 62:183–191. https://doi.org/10.1051/forest:2005010

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Costa e Silva J, Borralho NMG, Araújo JA, Vaillancourt RE, Potts BM (2008) Genetic parameters for growth, wood density and pulp yield in Eucalyptus globulus. Tree Genet Genomes 5:291–305. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11295-008-0174-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Danell Ö (1993) Breeding programmes in Sweden Corrected reprint from. In: Lee SJ (ed) Progeny testing and breeding strategies, Proceedings of the Nordic group of tree breeding, October 1993, 184+pp. Forestry Commission, Edinburgh, pp 1–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Dutkowski GW, Costa e Silva J, Gilmour AR, Lopez GG (2002) Spatial analysis methods for forest genetic trials. Can J For Res 32:2201–2214

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Falconer DS, Mackay TFC (1996) Introduction to quantitative genetics. Ed 4. Longmans Green, Harlow, Essex, UK

  • Farmer RE, Garlick K, Watson SR (1988) Heritability and C effects in a 3-year-old balsam poplar clonal test. Can J For Res 18:1059–1062

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Foster GS, Shaw VD (1988) Using clonal replicates to explore genetic variation in a perennial plant species. Theor Appl Genet 76:788–794

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Foster GS, Campbell RK, Thomas Adams W (1984) Heritability, gain and c effects in rooting of western hemlock cuttings. Can J For Res 14:628–638

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gilmour AR, Gogel BJ, Cullis BR, Thompson R (2009) ASReml user guide, 3rd edn. VSN International Ltd, Hemel Hempstead

    Google Scholar 

  • Hannerz M (1991) Urval ur halvsyskonfamiljer av gran till Mellansvenska klonskogsbruksprojektet - beskrivning av urvalsprinciper, genetiska effekter och genetisk struktur i utgångsmaterialet Institutet för Skogsförbättring, Arbetsrapport nr 259, 12 pp

  • Hannerz M (1992) Genetisk variation i tillväxt och tillväxtrytmkaraktärer hos helsyskonavkommor inom det Mellansvenska klonskogsbruksprojektet Institutet för Skogsförbättring, Arbetsrapport nr 264, 10 pp

  • Hannerz M, Sonesson J, Ekberg I (1999) Genetic correlations between growth and growth rhythm observed in a short-term test and performance in long-term field trials of Norway spruce. Can J For Res 29:768–778

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Isik K, Kleinschmit J, Svolba J (1995) Survival, growth and genetic gains in 17-year old Picea abies clones at seven test sites. Silv Genet 44:116–128

    Google Scholar 

  • Isik F, Li B, Frampton J (2003) Estimates of additive, dominance and epistatic genetic variances from a clonally replicated test of loblolly pine. For Sci 49:77–88

    Google Scholar 

  • Jansson G, Hansen JK, Haapanen M, Kvaalen H, Steffenrem A (2016) The genetic and economic gains from forest tree breeding programmes in Scandinavia and Finland. Scand J For Res 32:1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/02827581.2016.1242770

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karlsson B, Högberg KA (1998) Genotypic parameters and clone x site interaction in clone tests of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L) Karst). For Genet 47:208–214

    Google Scholar 

  • Lu PX, Huber DA, White TL (1999) Potential biases on incomplete linear models in heritability estimation and breeding value prediction. Can J For Res 29:724–736

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McRae T, Apiolaza LA, Dutkowski G, Kerr R, Pilbeam DJ, Powell MB, Tier B (2003) TREEPLAN—a genetic evaluation system for forest trees 27th Biennial southern forest tree improvement conference, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA, vol 6, 24–27 June 2003

  • Misztal I (1997) Estimation of variance components with large-scale dominance models. J Dairy Sci 80:965–974

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Morén AS, Perttu KL (1994) Regional temperature and radiation indices and their adjustment to horizontal and inclined forest land. Stud For Suec 194:19

    Google Scholar 

  • Mullin TJ, Park YS (1992) Estimating genetic gains from alternative breeding strategies for clonal forestry. Can J For Res 22:14–23

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mullin TJ, Park YS (1994) Genetic parameters and age-age correlations in a clonally replicated test of black spruce after 10 years. Can J For Res 24:2330–2341

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mullin TJ, Morgenstern EK, Park YS, Fowler DP (1992) Genetic parameters from a clonally replicated test of black spruce (Picea mariana). Can J For Res 22:24–36

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paul AD, Foster GS, Lester DT (1993) Field performance, C effects, and their relationship to initial rooting ability for western hemlock clones. Can J For Res 23:1947–1952

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raymond CA (2011) Genotype by environment interaction for Pinus radiata in New South Wales, Australia. Tree Genet Genomes 7:819–833. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11295-011-0376-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosvall O (2003) Zon-och ägarvisa plantagearealer för tredje omgången fröplantager i Sverige Arbetsrapport nr 549, Skogforsk, Uppsala

  • Rosvall O (2011) Review of the Swedish tree breeding programme. Skogforsk, Gävle Offset, Gävle

  • Rosvall O, Lindgren D, Mullin TJ (1998) Sustainability robustness and efficiency of a multi-generation breeding strategy based on within-family clonal selection. Silv Genet 47:307–321

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosvall O, Jansson G, Andersson B, Ericsson T, Karlsson B, Sonesson J, Stener L-G (2001) Genetic gain from present and future seed orchards and clone mixes Skogforsk, Redogörelse nr 1, 41 pp

  • Russell JH, Costa e Silva J, Baltunis BS (2015) Multisite genetic parameter estimates from a Callitropsis nootkatensis diallel study with clonally replicated progeny. Can J For Res 45:689–697. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfr-2014-0331

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shelbourne CJA (1972) Genotype-environment interaction: its study and its implications in forest tree improvement. In: Proceedings of IUFRO GeneticsSABARAO joint symposium. Tokyo B-1(I), pp 1–28

  • Sonesson J, Hannerz M (2002) Mellansvenska klonskogsbruksprojektet - slutrapport Skogforsk Arbetsrapport nr 256:18 p

  • Varghese M, Nicodemus A, Nagarajan B, Siddappa KRS, Bennett SSR, Subramanian K (2000) Seedling seed orchards for breeding tropical trees. Scroll press, Coimbatore, India 126pp. ISBN 81-900346-1

  • Weng YH, Park YS, Krasowski MJ, Tosh KJ, Adams G (2008) Partitioning of genetic variance and selection efficiency for alternative vegetative deployment strategies for white spruce in eastern Canada. Tree Genet Genomes 4:809–819. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11295-008-0154-0

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Bo Karlsson and anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on the manuscript and Aron Davidsson for the help with map development.

Data archiving statement

All raw data are archived in DATAPLAN® for access.

Funding

The study was financed by Södras forskningsstiftelse (the Södra Forest Owner Association Research Foundation).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Skogforsk, SE-751 83, Uppsala, Sweden

    Mats Berlin & Gunnar Jansson

  2. Skogforsk, SE-268 90, Svalöv, Sweden

    Karl-Anders Högberg & Andreas Helmersson

Authors
  1. Mats Berlin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Gunnar Jansson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Karl-Anders Högberg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Andreas Helmersson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mats Berlin.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Communicated by F. Isik

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Appendix

Appendix

Table 12 Spacing, number of plants and replications, geographic location, climatic conditions, and assessments at all trials in each trial series used in this study
Full size table
Table 13 Between-site common families and clones in parenthesis for the RS trial series
Full size table
Table 14 Between-site common families and clones in parenthesis for the Zone56 trial series
Full size table
Table 15 Between-site common families and clones in parenthesis for the Hsib trial series
Full size table
Table 16 p values for the fixed effects, LogL, and Akaike’s information criterion (AIC) for H12 for each model in the RS trial series
Full size table
Table 17 p values for the fixed effects, LogL, and Akaike’s information criterion (AIC) for H12 for each model in the Zone56 trial series
Full size table
Table 18 Observed variance components and genetic parameters with standard errors in parenthesis of the best model (12) and the reference model (11) for H12 and each trial in the RS trial series
Full size table
Table 19 Observed variance components and genetic parameters with standard errors in parenthesis of the best model (3) and the reference model (11) for H12 and each trial in the Zone56 trial series
Full size table
Table 20 Additive (rA), family (rf), and clonal (rc) correlation estimates for H12 in the RS trial series for the best model (12) and the reference model (11). Standard errors are shown in parenthesis
Full size table
Table 21 Additive (rA), family (rf), and clonal (rc) correlation estimates for D12 in the Zone56 trial series for the best model (3) and the reference model (11). Standard errors are shown in parenthesis
Full size table

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Berlin, M., Jansson, G., Högberg, KA. et al. Analysis of non-additive genetic effects in Norway spruce. Tree Genetics & Genomes 15, 42 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11295-019-1350-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11295-019-1350-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation