CORRELATIONS BETWEEN FORESTRY CHARACTERS DURING Eucalyptus grandis Hill ex Maiden GROWTH

Abstract

The species Eucalyptus grandis (Hill) Maiden is the most commercial tree cultivated in Brazil and throughout the world. It is planted as varieties and also as interspecific hybrid clonal plantings. This work is a study of genetic variation in open pollinated progenies, a seedling seed orchard of E. grandis from a Coff’s Harbour provenance, located at Morro D’Ouro Duratex S.A., in the Experimental Station in Botucatu County, São Paulo, Brazil. The aim was to analyze correlations between different traits by different ages, aiming to support earlier selection in eucalypt breeding programs. The trials were set up in two locals, Angatuba–SP and Lençóis Paulista–SP, Brazil, in February 1988. Randomized blocks with ten replications, six plants per plot, in 3 x 2 m spacing, totalizing 76 progenies was the experimental design used. The evaluated traits were: (1) diameter at breast height – DBH, plant height and wood volume. The evaluations were done in four consecutive years in Lençóis Paulista (local 2), and in Angatuba (local 1) we proceeded annual evaluations from the second to sixth year. The results had showed that correlations between growth traits presented relatively high values (0.69 to 0.99), for genetics as phenotypics making easier the genetic selection procedures and in advanced generations of breeding, that can be done from the third years old considering higher weight to DBH and wood volume traits into the selection indexes.