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Forest Research home > Research themes > Tree improvement & forest genetics > Selection and testing of conifers
Selection and testing of conifers - Traditional breeding
Traditionally, breeders try to separate the effects of the environment and the genotype. This is done by establishing genetic tests on just a few uniform sites in the forests about Britain. Our approach has been to establish tests involving progeny taken from each of the selected parents and a common standard seed lot. Clonal tests have not been used due to problems associated with physiological ageing (phase change) of the donor plant. Progeny trials are measured periodically and eventually decisions are made as to: - Which of the original selected parents are really good genotypes and
- Which ones just happened to be growing on a favorable environment.
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What's of interest
For details of the history of field testing genetic selections, the number of experiments planted, the design of tests and the frequency of assessments see the following section of Fifty years of tree breeding in Britain: The field progeny testing programme Related pages
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