© 1998 Heron Publishing—Victoria, Canada
Flower induction treatments have no effects on seed traits and transmission of alleles in Picea glauca
J. Beaulieu (1), M. Deslauriers (1) and G. Daoust (1)
1. Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Laurentian Forestry Centre, 1055 du P.E.P.S., P.O. Box 3800, Sainte-Foy,
Quebec G1V 4C7, Canada / Received November 27, 1997
Summary
Flower induction methods—hormone application or exposure to physiological stress, or both—are used routinely for shortening
breeding cycles and increasing seed production in white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss). The objectives of this study were: (1) to evaluate the effects of flower induction on seed yield and quality
in white spruce; and (2) to determine if flower induction treatments affect the maternal contribution to offspring. We assessed
the effects of flower induction treatments, which consisted of gibberellin A4/7 (GA4/7) and naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) stem injections, on allele segregation for 28 clones, number of seeds per cone, number
of sound seeds per cone, seed weight, and the germination rate of a subset of clones. Flower induction treatments did not
affect any of the phenotypic traits examined. No increase in segregation distortion in allozyme loci following flower induction
treatments was observed.
Keywords:
breeding cycle, gibberellic acid, maternal effect, seed production, white spruce.
