Genetic survey of Pinus radiata. 5: Between-trait and age-age genetic correlations for growth rate, morphology, and disease

Intercorrelations between traits and age-age correlations for some traits were studied to around age 10 years in a provenance-progeny trial of Pinus radiata D.Don on two test sites in Kaingaroa Forest in the central North Island of New Zealand, using seedlings and clones. The main seedling component of the experiment was supplemented by clones representing cuttings taken from c. 55 cm height on seedling ortets. All the natural populations, except for the Cedros Island population, plus two New Zealand controls were included in the clonal adjunct. Estimates of genotypic correlations from the open-pollinated seedling progenies and the clones agreed well. Additionally, the clones afforded direct estimates of non-genetic correlations (among ramets within clones). These results, and the inherent precision of clonal experiments, indicate that juvenile or near-juvenile clones have major advantages for studying such correlations. Between-trait genetic correlations appeared similar among populations, and results confirmed a pattern for volcanic plateau sites of generally favourable genetic correlation