populus breeding and cultivation studies in lithuanian...

LAMMC MIŠKŲ INSTITUTAS

INSTITUTE OF FORESTRY, LRCAF

Jonas Žiauka

Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry

Institute of Forestry

Populus breeding and cultivation studies in

Lithuanian Research Centre for

Agriculture and Forestry



2 Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture

and Forestry (LRCAF) – since 2010



3

LRCAF Institute of Forestry

Girionys, Kaunas District

Kaunas

Vilnius

Forests in Lithuania: 2.18 million ha (33.5% of the country’s territory)



Departments of the Institute of Forestry

• Silviculture department;

• Ecology department;

• Forest tree genetics and breeding department

(research scientists: V. Baliuckas, A. Pliūra);

• Forest protection and game management department;

• Forest resources, economics and policy department;

• Forest plant biotechnology laboratory (research

scientists: S. Kuusienė, J. Žiauka, A. Gradeckas).

4



Role of LRCAF Institute of

Forestry in hybrid aspen

breeding and cultivation

5



Forest stands area by dominant tree species (2015)

Increase of

European aspen

(Populus tremula)

stands in Lithuania

Native Populus tremula in Lithuanian forests

6



Institute of Forestry is making genetic research of aspen

populations in Lithuania. Three provenance regions for Populus

tremula were determined. Also, the best aspen trees for further

crosses and progeny field trials are being selected.

7



After some test crosses between Populus tremula and two

other species of the genus (Populus alba and P. tremuloides),

the first hybrid aspen test fields were established in 1968 by Dr.

Murkaitė and her team.

History of hybrid aspen breeding in Lithuania

8

Second series of crosses was made by

Dr. Pliūra in 1982. The same Populus

species were used (P. tremula, P.

tremuloides, P. alba), but the number of

trees was extended and more genetic

parameters were extracted.



Year

of est.

Area, ha Crossings No. of

selected

trees

1. 1983 2.0 Populus tremuloides × P. tremula 8

2. 1984 0.8 P. tremula × P. alba, P. tremula × P.

canescens, P. tremuloides × P. tremula

7

3. 1968 0.4 P. tremuloides × P. tremula, P. tremuloides ×

P. alba, P. tremula × P. alba, P. alba × P.

tremula

5

4. 1968 0.4 P. tremuloides × P. tremula, P. alba × P.

tremula

5

5. 1968 0.6 P. tremuloides × P. tremula, P. tremula × P.

alba, P. alba × P. tremula

5

6. 1983 2.8 P. tremuloides × P. tremula, P. alba × P.

tremula

5

In total: 35

First hybrid aspen test trials in Lithuania that served

as a basis for further breeding experiments (authors: Dr. Murkaitė – 1968; Dr. Pliūra – 1983-1984)

9



Aptvaras

Hibr drebule

10

Hybrid aspen (Populus

tremuloides × P. tremula) test

field No. 1 (established in 1983)

Hybrid aspen (Populus tremuloides

× P. tremula and P. alba × P.

tremula ) test field No. 4

(established in 1968)



Future plans of LARCF Institute of Forestry in

relation to aspen breeding:

• To select best phenotypes in progeny test plantations of

aspen hybrids and to establish collection of best performing

parental trees

• To find the least susceptible trees for Phellinus tremulae,

which is known to be the major pathogen that causes stem rot

in this species.

•To propagate selected trees by in vitro culture

• To establish clonal test trials of best phenotypes

•To test best trees for short rotation plantations

•To establish clonal trials of cultivars obtained from crossings

among poplars P. trichocarpa, P. nigra, and P. deltoides and

to compare their performance to that of aspen hybrids.

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Aspen and its hybrids – model species in the

work of Forest Plant Biotechnology Laboratory

12



13

Forest Plant Biotechnology Laboratory

(Started in 2001 as Laboratory of Molecular Genetics

and Biotechnology)

Research directions:

• characterization of forest plant genetic diversity by

DNA techniques;

• research of forest tree embryogenesis and

organogenesis in tissue culture;

• evaluation of growth regulators’ influence on plant

development;

• development of cloning technologies and bringing

them into operation for forest tree multiplication

programmes.



Laboratory’s contribution to hybrid aspen breeding and cultivation

1. Molecular (DNA analysis) methods for

genetic research

Also used for the identity control of clones

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2. In vitro propagation of selected trees through

microshoot culture

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Mass production of hybrid aspen clones in cooperation

with joint-stock company Euromediena (2009-2014)

Sterile microshoot culture

3 weeks

Acclimatization / rooting

2-4 weeks

Green-house Containers in the nursery

3 months

Clonal plantation

In ~6 months

2-3 weeks

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3. Investigation of plant hormone effects in different

Populus genotypes and under different culture conditions

DPL037

(asp.) DPL038

(asp.)

DF1001

(hybr. asp.)

17

Example: study on gibberellin (GA4/7)

effects on shoot multiplication




4. Manipulation with artificial environment conditions in

order to obtain increased shoot multiplication on hormone-

free medium

Published research articles:

Žiauka J., Kuusienė S., Šilininkas M. (2013) Fast

growing aspens in the development of a plant

micropropagation system based on plant-produced

ethylene action. Biomass and Bioenergy 53: 20-28.

Žiauka J., Kuusienė S. (2014) Multiplication and

growth of hybrid poplar (Populus alba × P. tremula)

shoots on a hormone-free medium. Acta Biologica

Hungarica 65: 346-354.

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5. Searching for methods to increase viability and growth

of hybrid aspen plants during ex vitro adaptation

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6. Production of new aspen hybrids under laboratory

conditions, using previously selected hybrid trees

1. Fertilization under controlled conditions

2. Cultivation

of isolated

ovaries in vitro

3. Primary

testing of the

offspring in in

vitro culture

4. Testing of the offspring

in the field

Laboratory’s contribution to hybrid aspen breeding and cultivation 20



Results in the already established

field trials (2008; combination:

(Populus tremuloides × P. tremula)

× (P. alba × P. tremula); 500

hybrid seedlings from in vitro

culture) showed that newly

obtained hybrids have huge

phenotypic differences among

themselves and provide a

possibility to select new trees with

particularly good quality.

Best 8 (10)-year-old individual:

height – 12.7 (16.6) m ; stem

diameter – 20.2 (22.8) cm.

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0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

No. 1 (P.tr.) No. 2 (P.tr.) No. 3

(P.tremuloides

x P.tr.)

No. 4 (P.alba x

P.tr.)

Le

ng

th, m

m

Shoot length

Root length

Different Populus genotypes have different

shoot to root ratio during in vitro culture

Experiment with shoot explants of four

genotypes on the hormone-free medium

Populus alba × P.

tremula hybrid is

different is this

aspect both from

aspen and hybrid

aspen

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7. Research of hybrid aspen-associated bacteria and

their contribution to plant development

Paenibacillus sp. – increasing

aspen root formation

** *

0

0,4

0,8

1,2

1,6

2

2,4

2,8

2 sav. 4 sav. 6 sav.

Ro

ot

nu

mb

er

per e

xp

lan

t

Time after inoculation (in weeks)

Kontrolė

Bakterija 1

Bakterija 2

**

**

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populus breeding and cultivation studies in lithuanian...

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