Stability analysis and selection of optimal Eucalyptus urophylla × E. grandis families

doi:10.3832/ifor4476-018

Stability analysis and selection of optimal Eucalyptus urophylla × E. grandis families

Chrissy Garel Makouanzi Ekomono^(1-2-3) , Hugues-Yvan Gomat⁽⁴⁾, Ursula Armeline Mondzeki Bomouta⁽¹⁾, Henok-Jubref Baniakissa-Ndelo⁽¹⁾

iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry, Volume 18, Issue 5, Pages 293-300 (2025)
doi: https://doi.org/10.3832/ifor4476-018
Published: Oct 20, 2025 - Copyright © 2025 SISEF

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To analyze the stability of growth traits and the chemical properties of wood in 55 full-sib families of Eucalyptus urophylla × Eucalyptus grandis from the reciprocal recurrent selection scheme for Eucalyptus in the Congo, two trials were conducted to compare planting spacing (833 and 2500 stems ha^-1). The effect of spacing at 55 months after planting was determined for height, circumference, lignin, cellulose, extractive contents, and the genetic variance component of the syringyl to guaiacyl ratio, using single and multisite linear mixed models. The families’ stability analysis was conducted by evaluating the P_i index of Lin. Results show that increased competition between trees raises the heritability of the chemical properties of wood, except for extractive content, and reduces the heritability of growth traits. Results also showed that the chemical properties of wood are relatively constant and that selection would involve a very slight drop in lignin, cellulose, and extractive content. In the case of a short rotation, plantation spacing alters the mean values of the chemical properties of wood in most families, although some remain stable in both plantation densities. For families with a low P_i index, planting spacing has very little influence on wood quality. This suggests that high-density plantations could be established with no negative impact on wood quality. The interaction between planting spacing and the effects of the main male and female primarily concerns growth traits. The interaction between planting spacing and the family effect tends to affect the chemical properties of wood.

Keywords

Planting Density, Wood Chemical Properties, Genetic Gain, Genotype-by-environment Interaction, Genetic Variance Component

Authors’ address

(1)

0000-0003-0920-5216

ENSAF, École Nationale Supérieure d’Agronomie et de Foresterie, Université Marien Ngouabi, Brazzaville (République du Congo)

(2)

0000-0003-0920-5216
CRDPI, Centre de Recherche sur la Durabilité et la Productivité des Plantations Industrielles, Pointe-Noire (République du Congo)

(3)

0000-0003-0920-5216
IRF, Institut national de recherche forestière, Cité Scientifique de Brazzaville, Brazzaville (République du Congo)

(4)

École Normale Supérieure, UMNG, BP 69 Brazzaville (République du Congo)

Corresponding author

Chrissy Garel Makouanzi Ekomono
garelmak@yahoo.fr

Citation

Makouanzi Ekomono CG, Gomat H-Y, Mondzeki Bomouta UA, Baniakissa-Ndelo H-J (2025). Stability analysis and selection of optimal Eucalyptus urophylla × E. grandis families. iForest 18: 293-300. - doi: 10.3832/ifor4476-018

Academic Editor

Angelo Rita

Paper history

Received: Sep 23, 2023
Accepted: May 13, 2025

First online: Oct 20, 2025
Publication Date: Oct 31, 2025
Publication Time: 5.33 months

Open Access

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.

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