Performance of micropropagated plants of silver birch (Betula pendula) in a field trial.

• Main Author: Viherä-Aarnio, Anneli
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Finnish Society of Forest Science 1994-01-01
• Series: Silva Fennica
• Online Access: https://www.silvafennica.fi/article/5541

Micropropagated and seed-borne plants of sliver birch ( Roth) were compared for survival and growth in a field trial at the age of six years. Three clones for micropropagation were selected from open-pollinated progenies of selected southern Finnish plus trees at the age of 17 and 20. The three seed-borne lots were of southern Finnish stand origin. The best two lots of the experiment as regards the height and diameter growth at the age of six were the clones. The best of these differed significantly from the best-growing seed-grown lot. The weakest lot of the experiment was also a clone which was clearly slow-growing with a dense and bushy crown. Survival of the material was high (mean = 94%), and there was no damage caused by voles and elks, for example. The results clearly show that the selection of material for clonal propagation should be done carefully. The clones should also be tested for performance in the field before propagation on a large scale. Betula pendula