Age-age correlation for height growth of open-pollinated progenies of pinus koraiensis in relation to their cone and seed characteristics

Korean white pine(Pinus koraiensis S. et Z.) is one of the important timber species as well as a pine nut producer in Korea. This study was carried out to obtain genetic information including genetic parameters and correlation coefficients. Open-pollinated cones and seeds from 50 plus trees were examined; seedling height was measured at ages 1 to 4 in the nursery; and tree height was measured at ages 5 to 10 in three plantations. The negative correlation was found between the number of seeds per cone and the other seed characteristics, and between the number of cones and all the other characteristics except the number of seeds per cone and cone weight. Seed weight showed highly positive correlation with other seed characteristics, e. g., length, width, and thickness, and some cone characteristics like diameter and weight. The seedling height in the nursery showed highly positive correlation with cone diameter and weight and seed length, weight, width, and thickness. The height in the test plantations showed negative correlation with the number of cones and the number of seeds per cone, but highly positive correlation with seed length, thickness, and weight. The height in the test plantations showed low correlation with the 1st-year height, but highly positive one with the 2nd- to 4th-year height in the nursery. The genetic correlation coefficient was 0.8364~1.0000; and the phenotypic correlation coefficient was 0.4495~0.8935.