Genetic Improvement of Sawn-Board Stiffness and Strength in Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris L.)

Given an overall aim of improving Scots pine structural wood quality by selective tree breeding, we investigated the potential of non-destructive acoustic sensing tools to accurately predict wood stiffness (modulus of elasticity, MOE) and strength (modulus of rupture, MOR) of sawn boards. Non-destructive measurements of wood density (DEN), acoustic velocity (VEL) and MOE were carried out at different stages of wood processing chain (standing trees, felled logs and sawn boards), whilst destructively measured stiffness and strength served as benchmark traits. All acoustic based MOE and VEL estimates proved to be good proxies (r(A) > 0.65) for sawn-board stiffness while MOE(TREE), VEL(HIT) and resistograph wood density (DEN(RES)) measured on standing trees and MOE(LOG) and VEL(FAK) measured on felled logs well reflected board strength. Individual-tree narrow-sense heritability ([Formula: see text]) for VEL, MOE and MOR were weak (0.05–0.26) but were substantially stronger for wood density (0.34–0.40). Moreover, additive genetic coefficients of variation for MOE and MOR were in the range from 5.4% to 9.1%, offering potential targets for exploitation by selective breeding. Consequently, selective breeding based on MOE(TREE), DEN(RES) or stem straightness (STR) could improve several structural wood traits simultaneously.