Fulda, 1987
IUFRO Unit 2.02.07
Larch breeding and genetic resources
Hallormsstadur, 2012
1976 - 2012
Berlin, 1992
Remmingstorp
Montana, 1992
Syktyvkar, 2010
Québec, 2007
Remmingstorp, 1995
Kyoto-Nagano, 2004
Krasnoyarsk, 1998
Gap, 2002
Drought impact on growth and
wood properties of larch
By L.E.Pâques
INRA- Unit AGPF- Orléans (France)
IUFRO Working Group S2.02.07
Larch Breeding and Genetic Resources
LARIX 2012 Conference
Hallormsstad National Forest, Iceland
11 - 13 September 2012.
Long-distance seed transfer & climate change?
157 EL progenies collected in Central Poland
(INRA-IBL collection 1987)
Total basal area MAI (m²/ha/yr)
+
+
+
Basal area MAI (m²/ha/yr)
2.500
2.000
1.500
1.000
0.500
0.000
Plachet
Arcey
Croze
Villance
Rance
Bort
Eu
Kutno
Zwierz
Is it a climate thing?
Tm: 8° C
Skarzysko (PL)
Mean Temperature (°C)
R: 1090 mm
Precipitation (mm)
La Courtine (F)
R: 605 mm
Tm: 6.8°C
Mortality
Drought spring 1995
EL Progeny trial
Bort (polonica)
(Drought) cracks
1999
+
Top dieback
Drought Summer
2003
Meria laricis
EL Progeny trial
Bort (polonica)
Micro-environmental effects (Papadakis)
(based on total height 1999)
Larch in a warm climate…
Soil water deficit is the major constraint
for larch in France
Exp.2.301.5: Bort
Zones of low soil water availability
Objectives
• To test the influence of limiting vs non-limiting
soil water availability on primary and secondary
growth and on major economical traits
• To compare EL and HL behaviour
All other environmental [temperature/
photoperiod/silviculture] and genetic [origin]
parameters being constant
Material & Methods
Site
INRA-Orléans nursery: ‘Farm-field’ test
• Oceanic influence
• Coarse sandy soil with a low water capacity
• Soil deficiences in P,K, Mg
Material
• EL: 20 HS progenies Larix ‘polonica’ (Swinia Gora)
• HL: 1 open-pollinated progeny (~FP201DK)
INRA-Orléans, nursery
Design
CRB design, 20 blocks, single tree-plot
1993: sowing
1995: Plantation : 1.2 x 1.2 m (6900 trees/ha)
2000: Thinning: down to 1500 trees/ha
Start of the experiment
9
8
7
6
5
7
3
2
1
x
F0749
F0831
F0030
F0726
x
F0771
x
F0721
1
x
F0756
5
F0749
F0030
F0780
FI
F0030
F0782
8
10
F0771
F0749
11
13
x
F0780
17
F0030
x
6
18
19
F0782
20
F0831
F0030
F0721
F0771
x
F0749
7
21
22
F0780
F0782
23
irrigué
non irrigué
x
25
F0030
26
F0771
9
27
F0721
F0831
F0780
F0780
F0782
F0749
F0721
x
F
F0726
x
x
32
F0726
x
35
37
x
13
Temperature (°C)
Precipitation
(mm)
Water supply
1) (mm)
Cumulated soil
water deficit 2)
(mm)
2000
12.2 (17.8)
987 (389)
1031
48.4
2001
11.8 (17.6)
1053 (475)
802
69.3
17
2002
12.2 (17.0)
786 (293)
0
92.3
18
2003
12.5 (19.7)
685 (227)
836
187.7
19
2004
11.8 (18.0)
744 (272)
2235
134.1
20
2005
12.0 (18.5)
672 (271)
1784
119.6
2006
11.5 (18.2)
763 (212)
2540
181.2
40
F0030
41
F0771
F0782
F0030
43
F0721
44
F0782
F0721
F0780
x
F0764
F0726
C
16
48
F0030
49
50
F0771
F0030
x
51
52
F0780
F0721
46
47
F0771
F0782
15
45
F0030
F0831
14
42
F0726
F0749
53
F0782
F0698
54
F0771
F0030
55
F0831
56
F0771
F0749
F0726
F0819
38
39
F0831
F0771
x
 FI: Drop-irrigation: from 2000 to 2006 [04-09]
12
36
F0721
x
11
33
34
F0782
F0771
x
10
30
 FI & F: 2 fertilisations in 2000: P, K, N + oligoelements
31
F0030
F0030
x
28
29
F0726
F0749
x
3) C: control (no fertilisation, no irrigation) (7
blocks)
24
F0831
F0771
x
2) F: fertilisation (6 blocks)
16
F0771
F0749
5
15
F0764
F0771
14
1) FI: fertilisation-irrigation (7 blocks)
4
12
F0726
F0831
F0721
3
9
F0782
x
Treatments
7
F0831
F0030
x
2
6
F0726
x
1
4
F0721
F0726
F0030
x
2
3
F0782
F0721
F0780
x
57
58
59
F0030
60
x
F0831
F0782
x
x
F0749
61
62
Measurements & observations
• (1995) – 2000-2006:
– Growth: BH girth & Total height (volume)
– Phenology: bud burst & bud set
– (branching, cracks, top-dieback, etc)
• 2007: from wood samples (disks)
– Heartwood/sapwood radial & height size (volume)
– Wood density (EW, LW, mean)
• +
Radial growth dynamics
Pinning method
April-October 2006, once a week
HL: 5 irrigated / 5 non-irrigated
Dynamics of ring formation
EW, TW, LW
Static profile Dynamic profile
Evaluation of drought stress
Irrigated
40
40
35
35
30
2000
2001
25
2002
20
2003
2004
15
2005
2006
10
Soil water deficits (mm)
Soil water deficits (mm)
Non-irrigated
30
25
20
15
10
5
5
0
0
Decades
Decades
• Recurrent water deficits from June (1st decade) up to September (2nd
decade)
• Usually severe but short-period of stress: e.g. 2004 (3rd decade
June), 2002 (1st decade August)
• 2003 & 2006: exceptionally long (2nd decade of June up to 1st
decade of September) and intense !
Results
Non-irrigated
Irrigated
M.Verger, August 2003
Non-irrigated
Irrigated
L.Pâques, October 2006
Results
 Highly significant differences are observed
between irrigated and non-irrigated trees for:
-36.4%
-29.0%
-37.6%
-38.4%
-34.6%
-42.9%
-39.7%
-44.9%
 No differences for:
- Latewood proportion
- Heartwood proportion/ HW extension
- Ring density (EW, LW, R)
800
700
Increment (cm)
Total height incr. :
Total girth incr. :
RW
EW
LW
Total volume:
HW
SW
900
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
up to 1999
2000-2006
Control
up to 1999
2000-2006
Irrigated
Girth
450
400
350
Increment (mm)
Total loss 2000-2006
Height
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
up to 1999
2000-2006
Control
up to 1999
Irrigated
2000-2006
30,0
Relative difference (NIRR vs IRR) (%)
20,0
APICAL GROWTH
10,0
0,0
-10,0
Strong negative impact all years
-20,0
-30,0
-40,0
From -20 to -65%
-50,0
-60,0
Worse years: 2004 – 2006 – (2000)
-70,0
-80,0
2000
2001
2002
2003
Years
2004
2005
2006
RADIAL GROWTH
Relative difference (NIRR vs IRR) (%)
30,0
20,0
10,0
Strong negative impact all years
0,0
-10,0
Sa
-20,0
Si
-30,0
Sf
-40,0
From -31 to -60%
-50,0
Worse years: 2006 – 2005 – 2004 – (2003)
-60,0
-70,0
-80,0
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
EW = RW / LW: strong effect in 2003 – 2005
2006
Years
30,0
RING DENSITY
20,0
Relative difference (%)
10,0
0,0
-10,0
do
-20,0
Weak effects (positive or negative)
di
-30,0
df
-40,0
-50,0
-60,0
-70,0
-80,0
2000
2001
2002
2003
Years
2004
2005
2006
for overall, EW and LW density
Results
Soil water deficit has a strong negative impact on growth
Height increment
Ring width
10.00
140.0
9.00
120.0
8.00
AHI (cm)
100.0
80.0
R2 = 0.517
60.0
Ring width (mm)
160.0
7.00
6.00
5.00
R2 = 0.604
40.0
4.00
R² = 0.703
20.0
3.00
R² = 0.659
0.0
0.00
20.00
40.00
60.00
80.00
100.00 120.00 140.00 160.00 180.00 200.00
Soil water deficit (mm)
2.00
0.00
20.00
40.00
60.00
80.00
100.00 120.00 140.00 160.00 180.00 200.00
Soil water deficit (mm)
Results
APICAL GROWTH
30,0
10,0
0,0
Cumulated soil water deficits (mm)
Relative difference (NIRR vs IRR) (%)
20,0
-10,0
-20,0
-30,0
-40,0
-50,0
-60,0
-70,0
-80,0
2000
2001
2002
2003
Years
2004
2005
2006
RADIAL GROWTH
Relative difference (NIRR vs IRR) (%)
30,0
200
180
2000
2001
160
2002
140
2003
120
2004
100
2005
2006
80
60
40
20
0
Decades
20,0
10,0
0,0
-10,0
Sa
-20,0
Si
-30,0
Sf
-40,0
-50,0
-60,0
-70,0
-80,0
2000
2001
2002
2003
Years
2004
2005
2006
~ later
early water
strong
stress
cumulated
stress water stress
Results
Correlation coefficient
Link between cumulated water deficits
along the growing season and their
impacts on traits
0.600
0.400
Height increment
Ring area
Early-wood area
0.200
Late-wood area
Late-wood proportion
0.000
-0.200
-0.400
-0.600
Significant negative link between
impacts and water deficits are
observed
-0.800
-1.000
ju1
- not before 2nd decade of July
for height growth
ju3
jul1
jul2
jul3
aug1
aug2
aug3
sep1
0.600
sep2
sep3
oct1
Overall ring density
Early-wood density
0.400
Late-wood density
0.200
Correlation coefficient
- and one month later for radial
growth and wood density
ju2
0.000
-0.200
-0.400
-0.600
-0.800
-1.000
ju1
ju2
ju3
jul1
jul2
jul3
aug1
aug2
aug3
sep1
sep2
sep3
oct1
Results
Hybrid Larch - Growing season 2006
EW
TW
LW
Cumulated
water
deficit: >180
mm
40.00
35.00
SWD (mm)
30.00
25.00
20.00
15.00
10.00
5.00
Oct 3
Nov 1
Oct 2
Oct 1
Sep 3
Sep 2
Sep 1
Aug 2
Aug 3
July 3
Aug 1
July 2
July 1
June 3
June 2
June 1
May 3
May 2
May 1
April 3
April 2
April 1
March 3
0.00
Dates (decades)
Ring width
Irrigated
Non irrigated
EW
duration
71
60.6
Irrigated
EW HL TW
TW
speed
duration
speed
2006
0.036
0.028
RW (mm)
25.3
LW (%)
22.6
4.9
0.046
37.2
0.019
Non
LW
irrigated
duration
2.5
68.8
24.0
74.0
LW
speed
0.018
0.005
Results
Comparison of impacts on EL vs HL
100.000
10.000
80.000
5.000
0.000
-5.000
40.000
20.000
EL
0.000
HL
-20.000
% reduction
% reduction
60.000
-10.000
-15.000
EL
-20.000
HL
-25.000
-40.000
-30.000
-60.000
-35.000
-40.000
-80.000
Flushing
Height
BH girth Total stem
increment increment
volume
HW
volume
SW
volume
HW
volume
proportion
-45.000
Ring width EW width LW width
LW
proportion
Ring
density
EW
density
LW
density
Opposite impact on EL/HL: flushing, HW proportion…HW volume
Similar impact in EL/HL: height
Stronger negative impact on EL: volume (total, HW, SW)
Stronger negative impact on HL: %LW
Conclusions
 Soil water deficit has a strong negative impact on
apical and radial growth, including
heartwood/sapwood size
 + timing of ring formation
 But not much influence latewood proportion,
heartwood proportion and ring density
 Even weak deficits have an impact
 The timing and intensity of water stress influence
differently apical and radial growth
 EL is globally more impacted than HL
Perspectives
 To explore the relationship between water deficit and ring
formation
EW
LW
TW
False ring
40% of WR
Transition wood
Year 2006
1.1
(date, duration, intensity, speed…)
Intra-ring density (g/cm3)
1
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
100
120
140
160
180
200
220
Julian day
240
260
280
300
320
Perspectives
 To study genetic variation
 To interpret genotypes reaction – adaptive behaviour
Will be used in the study of hybrid vigour: why HL is better than EL / JL ?
mother
Total
father
106
104
10
106
109
221
222
3179
3180
3183
3190
3193
3194
3200
3203
10
109
10
10
166
214
10
10
EL
221
10
9
10
222
242
10
9
10
10
10
284 3190 3193 3194 3200 3203 3217 Total
10
10
10
10
10
90
9
10
10
10
10
98
19
10
10
10
10
9
1
60
10
10
9
10
49
10
10
10
10
40
5
10
10
10
35
10
10
10
10
40
10
10
10
30
10
10
10
10
40
10
10
20
10
10
20
10
10
29
65
80
79
79
40
51 551
HL
JL
20
10
10
29
19
30
Farm-field progeny test (INRA-Orléans nursery) – 2 environments