Differences in bud burst timing and bud freezing tolerance among interior and coastal seed sources of Douglas fir

Abstract

Key message The Douglas fir provenance Three Valley was found most suitable for planting in mid-Sweden. Greenhouse tests can most likely predict how different Douglas fir provenances will perform in the field. Abstract The need for species that will grow well through ongoing climate change has increased the interest in Douglas fir [Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco] in Sweden. One of the most common problems seen in plantations of Douglas fir seedlings is damage caused by late spring frost, known to be highly correlated with the timing of bud burst. The objective of this study was to investigate spring-related bud development under Nordic conditions of seven Douglas fir provenances and to compare data with a local provenance of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst). Results from a field trial and a greenhouse-based study were compared. The interior Douglas fir provenances exhibited an earlier bud burst than coastal provenances, both in the greenhouse and in the field trial. When comparing differences within the groups of interior and coastal Douglas fir provenances, no differences could be found. The local Norway spruce, only grown in the greenhouse, showed an intermediate bud development profile similar to the interior Douglas fir provenance Three Valley. We therefore suggest that Three Valley could be planted at the same locations as the investigated local provenance of Norway spruce in mid-Sweden. To avoid spring frost damage the Douglas fir seedlings need to be frozen stored and planted late in spring. Planting under shelterwood can also help protect the seedlings from spring frost damages. As similar results for bud development patterns of Douglas fir and Norway spruce provenances were obtained from the greenhouse and field trials, greenhouse tests could facilitate selection of provenances.

Survival, early growth and impact of damage by late-spring frost and winter desiccation on Douglas-fir seedlings in southern Sweden

“…Campbell and Sugano ( 1979 ) found that interior Douglas-fir had a lower chilling requirement than coastal Douglas-fir, and observed earlier bud burst in spring for the interior variety. A study performed by Malmqvist et al ( 2017 ) with the same seed origin as in this study, showed the same pattern of earlier bud burst for the interior variety compared to the coastal variety. All interior provenances in this study had started the process of bud development at the time of the freezing temperatures mentioned above and were therefore damaged by frost to a higher extent than the late flushing coastal provenances.…”

Survival of Douglas-fir provenances in Austria: site-specific late and early frost events are more important than provenance origin

“…The cascade and coastal provenances were also found to have superior productivity across a wide range of planting conditions and are expected to be the most productive in climate change across many regions in Europe (Chakraborty et al 2015;Chakraborty et al 2016). Genetic variation in frost damage and resistance have been studied extensively in North America (Emerson et al 2006;St Clair 2006;Bansal et al 2015) but rarely in Europe (but see; Lavadinović et al 2013;Malmqvist et al 2017). Phenology plays an important role in genetic variation in frost tolerance in temperate plants (Cooper et al 2019).…”

“…Phenology plays an important role in genetic variation in frost tolerance in temperate plants (Cooper et al 2019). Interior provenances are likely to have less resistance against late frost in spring because they flush earlier than coastal provenances (St Clair 2006;Wolf 2012;Lavadinović et al 2013;Bansal et al 2015;Malmqvist et al 2017). Coastal provenances, however, may exhibit higher sensitivity to early frost events in autumn because they need longer time for bud set and hardening (Aitken et al 1996;Lavadinović et al 2013;Malmqvist et al 2017).…”

“…Owing to its wide geographic range, Douglas-fir exhibits strong intraspecific variations in its ability to tolerate extremely low temperatures (O'Neill et al 2001;St Clair 2006). The interior or the Rocky mountain provenances are known to have a higher tolerance to frost, compared to the coastal provenances (Stevenson et al 1999;O'Neill et al 2001;St Clair 2006;Bansal et al 2015;Kreyling et al 2015;Malmqvist et al 2017).…”

“…In Europe, Douglas-fir has been widely studied in the context of productivity or growth performance where modeling studies suggested that interior provenances could be more suitable for continental and northern Europe (Isaac-Renton et al 2014), while experimental studies found that coastal provenances outperform interior ones under a wide range of environmental conditions (Konnert and Ruetz 2006;Kölling 2008;Petkova 2011;Chakraborty et al 2015). However, studies on frost tolerance of Douglas-fir in Europe are rare (Malmqvist et al 2017). Moreover, the majority of the studies on the effects of frost on conifers are based on visual inspection of the damage to tissues or plant parts exposed to artificially regulated low temperatures in programmable freezers.…”