Comparison of the genetic variability of Scots pine trees and their progeny from nursery production based on DNA analyses

The production of forest tree species in forest nurseries is performed via two main breeding systems: i) the traditional (conventional) way with the seedlings grown in soil, and ii) plants cultivated in the containers. The aim of the study was to assess the level of genetic variability in the populations of the mother stands and the progeny populations of Scots pine cultured with traditional way (in soil) and in containers in two nurseries in Olsztynek (N Poland) and Oleszyce (S Poland) forest districts. Four polymorphic microsatellite markers (SPAG 7.14, SPAC 11.6, SPAC 12.5 and SsrPt_ctg4363) were used to evaluate the genetic variability of the studied populations. The basic hypothesis assumed that higher gene pool characterizes the seedlings grown in the containers comparing to the seedlings grown in the ground. The results confirmed that. Seedlings from containerized breeding had larger gene pool and were more diverse than plants with conventional breeding, both in Olsztynek and Oleszyce. Our study revealed a significant human impact on shaping the pool of forest genetic resources of Polish forests at the early stage of nursery production and showed the need for a broader study on further stages of cultivation of forests