Christmas tree is an important specialty crop. In Europe, the main Christmas tree species is Nordmann fir (Abies nordmanniana (Steven) Spach) and nearly 42 million trees are sold each year. This paper focuses on three key traits for Christmas tree production: growth (including branching), commercial tree quality, and post-harvest needle retention. The objectives of the study are to estimate genetic variation and heritability, genotype-by-site interaction, and genetic correlations among traits, and to illustrate and discuss potential gains from selection. The field trial series comprises 10 sites, 7 provenances, and 128 single-tree open-pollinated offspring from five Danish seed sources (in total 45,531 trees). At year 7 from planting, growth and quality were assessed on all sites. A subset of three sites were sampled twice (in October and November) for evaluation of post-harvest needle retention. Heritabilities across sites were 0.23, 0.21, and 0.13 for tree height, number of branches, and Christmas tree score, respectively. Heritability for post-harvest needle retention increased from 0.28 in October to 0.55 in November. Average additive genetic site-by-site correlation for tree height was 0.72, for number of branches 0.86, and for Christmas tree score 0.72, indicating that the genotype-by-site interaction is small and not important. Post-harvest needle retention did not correlate to any other traits. Potential gains from backward selection and grafting superior plus-trees in clonal seed orchards, e.g. the 15–20 best ones, were estimated to be 20% in Christmas tree score, number of branches, and height, and 65% in November post-harvest needle retention.

圣诞树是重要的特色农作物。在欧洲，主要的圣诞树树种是诺德曼冷杉（Abies nordmanniana（Steven）Spach），每年售出近4200万棵树。本文重点介绍了圣诞树生产的三个关键特征：生长（包括分支），商品树质量和收获后的针头保留。该研究的目的是评估遗传变异和遗传力，基因型-位点间的相互作用以及性状之间的遗传相关性，并举例说明和讨论从选择中获得的潜在收益。田间试验系列包括10个地点，7个起源和来自5个丹麦种子源的128个单树开放授粉后代（总共45,531棵树）。从种植的第7年开始，评估所有地点的生长和质量。对三个地点的一部分进行了两次采样（分别在10月和11月），以评估收获后的针头保留。树木高度的遗传力分别为0.23、0.21和0.13，树枝数和圣诞树分数。收获后保留针的遗传力从10月的0.28增至11月的0.55。树木高度的平均加性遗传位点相关性为0.72，树枝数为0.86，圣诞树评分为0.72，表明基因型-位点间的相互作用很小且不重要。收获后的针头保留与任何其他特征均不相关。在无性种果园中，通过向后选择和嫁接上等正果树的潜在收益（例如15–20个最佳果树），其圣诞树得分，枝条数量和高度估计为20％，而11月收获后为65％持针器。树木高度的平均加性遗传位点相关性为0.72，树枝数为0.86，圣诞树评分为0.72，表明基因型-位点间的相互作用很小且不重要。收获后的针头保留与任何其他特征均不相关。在无性种果园中，通过向后选择和嫁接优质正树（例如15–20个最佳果树）的潜在收益估计为圣诞树得分，枝条数量和高度的20％，而11月收获后为65％。持针器。树木高度的平均加性遗传位点相关性为0.72，树枝数为0.86，圣诞树评分为0.72，表明基因型-位点间的相互作用很小且不重要。收获后的针头保留与任何其他特征均不相关。在无性种果园中，通过向后选择和嫁接优质正树（例如15–20个最佳果树）的潜在收益估计为圣诞树得分，枝条数量和高度的20％，而11月收获后为65％。持针器。