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Genetic variation for carbon isotope composition in Juglans regia L.: relationships with growth, phenology and climate of origin

Variation génétique de la composition isotopique du carbone chez Juglans regia L. : relations avec la croissance, la phénologie et le climat d’origine

Annals of Forest Science volume 66, page 413 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

  • • Among the traits of breeding interest for the common walnut tree Juglans regia L., characteristics such as timing of budbreak and leaf fall, water-use efficiency and growth performance are regarded as being of utmost relevance in Mediterranean conditions.

  • • The authors evaluated intraspecific variation in δ13C (carbon isotope composition, surrogate of intrinsic water-use efficiency, WUEi) for 22 J. regia families grown in a progeny test under supplementary irrigation, and investigated whether such variation correlated with climatic indicators of native habitats. The genetic relationships between δ13C, growth and phenology were also assessed during two consecutive years.

  • • Overall, the most water-use-efficient families (i.e. with higher δ13C), which originated mainly from drought-prone provenance regions which have a high vapour pressure deficit and low rainfall, exhibited less height growth and smaller DBH. Using a stepwise regression procedure, δ13C was included as the main explanatory variable of genotypic variation in growth traits, together with growing season duration (for DBH in both years) and flushing (for height in 2007).

  • • It was concluded that WUEi is largely unconnected to phenology effects in the explanation of growth performance for J. regia, therefore suggesting the opportunity of simultaneously selecting for low WUEi and extended growing period to maximise productivity in non-water-limited environments.

Résumé

  • • Parmi les traits d’intérêt pour la sélection de noyer commun Juglans regia, des caractéristiques telles que la précocité de débourrement et la date de chute des feuilles, l’efficience d’utilisation de l’eau et la performance de croissance sont considérées comme étant importantes dans les conditions méditerranéennes.

  • • Les auteurs ont évalué la variation intraspécifique de composition isotopique en 13C (δ13C, substitut de l’efficience intrinsèque d’utilisation de l’eau, WUEi) dans 22 familles de Juglans regia cultivées dans un essai de descendance avec une irrigation d’appoint, et ils ont examiné si la variation était corrélée avec les indicateurs du climat des habitats d’origine. Les relations génétiques entre δ13C, croissance et phénologie ont également été évaluées au cours de deux années consécutives.

  • • En général, les familles présentant les plus fortes valeurs de WUEi (c’est-à-dire avec le δ13C le plus élevé), qui proviennent essentiellement des régions de provenance à sécheresse élevée et à fort déficit de pression de vapeur et faibles précipitations, présentent une croissance en hauteur moindre et un plus faible diamètre à 1,3 m. En utilisant une procédure de régression par étapes, δ13C a été inclus en tant que principale variable explicative de la variation génotypique des caractéristiques de croissance, de concert avec la durée de la saison de croissance (pour le diamètre à 1,3 m) et le débourrement (pour la hauteur en 2007).

  • • Il a été conclu que WUEi est en grande partie sans rapport avec la phénologie dans l’explication de la performance de croissance pour J. regia, suggérant donc la possibilité de sélectionner simultanément pour de faibles niveaux de WUEi et une période de croissance prolongée pour maximiser la productivité dans des environnements où l’eau n’est pas limitante.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut de Recerca i Tecnología Agroalimentàries (IRTA) Torre Marimon, 08140, Caldes de Montbui, Spain

    Neus Aletà & Antoni Vilanova

  2. Centro de Investigacións Ambientais de Lourizàn, Apdo. 127, 36080, Pontevedra, Spain

    Raquel Díaz

  3. Department of Crop and Forest Sciences, University of Lleida, Rovira Roure 191, 25198, Lleida, Spain

    Jordi Voltas

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  1. Neus Aletà
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  2. Antoni Vilanova
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  4. Jordi Voltas
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Correspondence to Jordi Voltas.

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Aletà, N., Vilanova, A., Díaz, R. et al. Genetic variation for carbon isotope composition in Juglans regia L.: relationships with growth, phenology and climate of origin. Ann. For. Sci. 66, 413 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1051/forest/2009021

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/forest/2009021

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Annals of Forest Science

ISSN: 1297-966X