Applications: If successful, top grafting can be used to greatly shorten the breeding cycle resulting in more genetic gain per unit time.

Materials and Methods:
Materials: At each location, one ramet each of five clones of slash and five clones of loblolly which are good seed producers will be selected.  Scion will be collected as one piece of scion per individual in six age classes (2,4,6,8,10 and 15).  Thirty total pieces of scion are needed per age class.

Methods: Each age class material will be grafted into the upper (female zone) and mid to lower crown (male zone) of each of the ten selected ramets.  The preferred grafting method is the waxed modified cleft graft.  The identification of each graft must be maintained.  Measurement will be taken at flowering times annually and cones gathered in the fall once mature cones are present.  Variables are survival, length, female strobili, male strobili, flowering points, conelets, cones, flowering times and seed per cone.
 

Objectives: The main objectives of this research project are: 1. quantify advanced generation slash pine seed orchard yields; 2. document seed orchard management practices; 3. investigate backward vs forward clonal yields;  4. develop clonal production profiles; and 5. determine clonal GXE interactions for seed production.

Applications: Information will be summarized and used by CFGRP seed orchard managers to: 1. calculate seed orchard breeding values; 2. rogue their advanced-generation seed orchards; 3. quantify yields; 4. evaluate management practices; 5. plan future seed orchards; and 6. quantify genetic diversity for a given seed orchard.
Materials and:   Fifteen CFGRP advanced-generation slash pine seed orchards located throughout the southeastern United States.

Methods: In 1997, seed orchard establishment information was compiled and orchard breeding values were calculated.  In 1998, the CFGRP developed four forms which are used to monitor these seed orchards.  Form 1: seed orchard general information and composition.  This form should be filled out when a new seed orchard is established or when the clonal composition of the seed orchard is changed by adding new grafts, roguing, thinning or mortality. Form 2: seed orchard management practices.  This form will be used throughout the year to document seed orchard management practices such as: fertilization, irrigation, pesticide and herbicide application, mowing, roguing and flower stimulation.  Form 3: seed orchard yields estimation.  This form will be filled out in August-September.  This is particularly important for seed orchards that are not collected by clone.  Form 4: seed orchard yields. This form will be filled out each year after cone collection and seed extraction.  The first of these production measurements is scheduled for fall of 1998.

Objectives and Applications:
Objectives:  To examine the performance of slash pine X Pinus caribaea var. hondurensis hybrids when grown in Florida. These hybrids are known to grow well in parts of Australia with similar climates. Performance of the hybrids will be compared to that of pure slash. The tests will be assessed for growth, survival, cold hardiness, and eventually, wood quality (if appropriate).

Applications:  This hybrid may outperform pure slash in Florida as it does in Australia. If so, then breeding and deployment of this hybrid or some form of backcrossing of the hybrid to the best pure slash clones could markedly increase gains in growth.

Materials and Methods:
Materials:  Only two taxa are included in these tests: slash and the hybrid. Seed for both taxa (except for a few CFRGP lots included in the slash taxon) were obtained from Garth Nikles in the Queensland Department of Forestry (QDF). Slash parents from the QDF breeding program were used as females for both taxa: open-pollinated for the slash taxon and polymix with PCH pollen for the hybrid taxon. Seed were received in two years: 1988 went into tests 524 and 525; 1989 seed went into 526 and 527. There are few common families to both years.

Methods:  Tests 524 and 525 were established by CCA in June, 1990; 526 and 527 were established by Lykes Bros. in January, 1991.  All 4 test locations have the same design: a RCB, split-plot design with two taxa as whole-plots and families of each taxon as sub-plots. Family sub-plots are a six-tree row-plot running across beds. Nine to 12 families form each whole plot. Commonality of material is good for CCA and Lykes tests, but not between them. There are
 

Objectives and Applications:
Objectives: To test the performance of seven different taxa (4 hybrids, improved slash, improved loblolly and unimproved slash) in large block plots (fertilized and unfertilized) across a range of field sites. Specific objectives are 1) to assess the potential of hybrids in operational tree improvement, 2) to compare improved loblolly vs slash, 3) to quantify realized gains from previous slash pine improvement (by comparing improved vs. unimproved slash).

Applications: 1) One or more hybrids may prove valuable for incorporation into the slash breeding program. 2) The performances of best-available slash vs. loblolly under both fertilized and unfertilized conditions will be quantified. 3) The benefits of the first generation of slash pine improvement (realized gains) will be quantified on a range of site qualities and in fertilized and unfertilized conditions.

Materials and Methods:
Materials: The four hybrids being tested are: 1) slash X loblolly, 2) slash X P. caribaea var hondurensis (PCH), 3) slash X P. caribaea var bahamensis (PCB), and 4) backcross of the F1 hybrid (F1H) of slash and PCH onto slash. The same ±30 slash parents are used as the female parents of all hybrids and as the female parents of the improved slash taxon. The improved loblolly seed and pollen is from the south Atlantic Coastal Plain. The unimproved slash taxon is composed of parents representing woods-run slash pine prior to 1950.
 
Methods: The ±15 test locations are representative of slash pine sites in the lower Coastal Plain. At each site, six of the seven taxa are planted in a randomized complete block, split-plot design. There are three complete blocks, each consisting of two whole plots (fertilized and unfertilized). Each whole plot consists of the six sub plots (one for each taxon). A sub plot contains 80 trees (8 rows x 10 trees) of the same taxon.
 

Objectives and Applications:
Objectives: To examine the early growth and adaptability of four slash-pine hybrids compared to pure slash and loblolly pine on field sites in the lower Coastal Plains of southeastern United States. Species-site comparisons will be compared across two levels of cultural practices. This study will examine some within-taxon genetic differences for early growth and adaptability: family to family differences, the relation of slash pine general combining ability (GCA) and general hybridizing ability (GHA) and within-family variation.

Applications: To test these hybrids for use in the southeastern U.S.  screening for high productivity with genetic resistance topests or freezing temperatures.

Materials and Methods:
Materials: Seven different pine taxa are being tested in the series of field experiments established by the CFGRP: 1) Slash pine x P. caribaea var. hondurensis (PEE x PCH), 2) slash pine x the hybrid slash x P. caribaea var.  hondurensis (PEE x F1H), 3) slash pine x P. caribaea var. bahamensis (PEE x PCB), 4) slash pine x loblolly pine (PEE x PTA), 5) improved slash pine (PEE), 6) unimproved slash (PEU) and 7) improved loblolly pine (PTA). Sixteen polymix families form each taxon.

 Methods: Twelve field test location were planted with two managed treatment blocks. In intensively managed treatment blocks, DAP and strip-spray for weed control and tip moth control were used in 1995 and 1996. Growth, cold damage, rust cumulative incidence, presence of each type of Rhyacionia and its damage by and survival will be assessed for three years after plantation. ANOVAs will be conducted to detect differences in sites, treatments, taxa and families for each variable.