GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT DYNAMICS OF TERMINAL SPROUT IN PROVENANCE TRIALS OF SILVER FIR (ABIES ALBA MILL.) OF PLANTS IN CROATIA

Jedna od najvrijednijih vrsta četinjača u Hrvatskoj je obična jela (Abies alba Mill.) koja zajedno s bukvom i smrekom raste na približno 150 000 ha šuma Like i Gorskoga Kotara na kojima se preborno gospodari. Prva istraživanja uspijevanja različitih provenijencija obične jele u Hrvatskoj započela su sakupljanjem sjemena u jesen 1994. godine. Sakupljeni su uzorci sjemena iz 18 priznatih i izabranih sjemenskih sastojina u Hrvatskoj i u dvije slovenske sjemenske sastojine, te je osnovan rani test provenijencija u rasadniku šumarskog instituta, Jastrebarsko. U svrhu daljnjih istraživanja na području Uprave šuma Podružnica Delnice, Šumarija Fužine, lokalitet Brloško, tijekom 2000. godine i u rasadniku Instituta 2001. godine osnovani su poljski pokusi. U radu su prikazani rezultati istraživanja rasta terminalnog izbojka biljaka starosti osam godina. Prosječni prirast biljaka u pokusu "A-polje" u 2002. iznosio je 45,1 mm, a na pokusu provenijencija "Brloško" 156,8 mm. Analizom varijance utvrđeno je postojanje statistički značajnih razlika između provenijencija u dinamici njihova rasta.One of the most valuable conifer tree species in Croatia is Silver fir (Abies alba Mill.). Growing mostly in Lika and Gorski kotar region in pure or mixed with beech and spruce stands it covers area of approximately 150 000 ha, managed using tree selection system. First research on growth of different provenances of silver fir in Croatia begun with seed collection in the autumn of 1994. Collected were seeds from 18 Recognized Seed Stands in Croatia and two from Slovenia and an early provenance test was established in the nursery of Forest Research Institute. Further research involved establishment of field trial in the year 2000 at the locality Brloško on the territory of Forest Management Unit Delnice, Forestry Office Fužine, and in the year 2001 on the Forest Research Institute in Jastrebarsko. In this paper we present results of the research of growth of terminal sprout on fir seedlings aged eight years. Average height increment in the year 2002 for the plants in "A-Field" provenance trial was 45.1 mm, while for the provenance trial "Brloško" average height increment amounted to 156.8 mm. Analysis of variance showed that statistically significant difference exists in growth dynamics of different provenances