Evaluating Douglas Fir’s Provenances in Romania Through Multi-Trait Selection

Douglas fir (<i>Pseudotsuga menziesii</i> [Mirb.] Franco) is a valuable timber species native to western North America that was introduced to Europe in the 19th century. The objective of this study was to select the most valuable and stable Douglas fir provenances in Romania by combining...

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Main Authors: Emanuel Stoica, Alin Madalin Alexandru, Georgeta Mihai, Virgil Scarlatescu, Alexandru Lucian Curtu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Plants
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/9/1347
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author Emanuel Stoica
Alin Madalin Alexandru
Georgeta Mihai
Virgil Scarlatescu
Alexandru Lucian Curtu
author_facet Emanuel Stoica
Alin Madalin Alexandru
Georgeta Mihai
Virgil Scarlatescu
Alexandru Lucian Curtu
author_sort Emanuel Stoica
collection DOAJ
description Douglas fir (<i>Pseudotsuga menziesii</i> [Mirb.] Franco) is a valuable timber species native to western North America that was introduced to Europe in the 19th century. The objective of this study was to select the most valuable and stable Douglas fir provenances in Romania by combining growth and quality traits, using two indices recently used in forest tree species: the multi-trait genotype–ideotype distance index (MGIDI) and the multi-trait stability index (MTSI). The study was conducted across three common garden experiments in Romania, established in 1977, evaluating 61 provenances from the United States, Canada, Germany, France, and Romania. The analyzed traits were diameter at breast height (DBH), total height (TH), and pruned height (PH). Significant genotype–environment interactions were observed, with the Douglas fir showing superior growth performance in one of the testing sites in western Romania (Aleșd). The MGIDI and MTSI identified high-performing provenances from diverse geographic origins, including the Pacific Northwest, Europe, and Canada. Selection differentials ranged from 2.8% to 10.9% for individual traits, highlighting the potential for genetic improvement. The selected provenances represent valuable genetic resources of Douglas fir that are adapted to environmental conditions in the Carpathian region, contributing to the development of climate-adaptive breeding strategies and sustainable forest management.
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spelling doaj-art-f7fc3940d19d4a5bae00a721a557de632025-08-20T03:52:56ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472025-04-01149134710.3390/plants14091347Evaluating Douglas Fir’s Provenances in Romania Through Multi-Trait SelectionEmanuel Stoica0Alin Madalin Alexandru1Georgeta Mihai2Virgil Scarlatescu3Alexandru Lucian Curtu4Department of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, “Marin Dracea” National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry, 077190 Voluntari, RomaniaDepartment of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, “Marin Dracea” National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry, 077190 Voluntari, RomaniaDepartment of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, “Marin Dracea” National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry, 077190 Voluntari, RomaniaNational Institute for Research and Development in Forestry “Marin Dracea”, Mihăești Research Station, 117470 Mihaesti, RomaniaDepartment of Silviculture, Transilvania University of Brasov, 500123 Brasov, RomaniaDouglas fir (<i>Pseudotsuga menziesii</i> [Mirb.] Franco) is a valuable timber species native to western North America that was introduced to Europe in the 19th century. The objective of this study was to select the most valuable and stable Douglas fir provenances in Romania by combining growth and quality traits, using two indices recently used in forest tree species: the multi-trait genotype–ideotype distance index (MGIDI) and the multi-trait stability index (MTSI). The study was conducted across three common garden experiments in Romania, established in 1977, evaluating 61 provenances from the United States, Canada, Germany, France, and Romania. The analyzed traits were diameter at breast height (DBH), total height (TH), and pruned height (PH). Significant genotype–environment interactions were observed, with the Douglas fir showing superior growth performance in one of the testing sites in western Romania (Aleșd). The MGIDI and MTSI identified high-performing provenances from diverse geographic origins, including the Pacific Northwest, Europe, and Canada. Selection differentials ranged from 2.8% to 10.9% for individual traits, highlighting the potential for genetic improvement. The selected provenances represent valuable genetic resources of Douglas fir that are adapted to environmental conditions in the Carpathian region, contributing to the development of climate-adaptive breeding strategies and sustainable forest management.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/9/1347Douglas fircommon garden experimentsmulti-trait selectiongenotype–environment interactionnon-native tree species
spellingShingle Emanuel Stoica
Alin Madalin Alexandru
Georgeta Mihai
Virgil Scarlatescu
Alexandru Lucian Curtu
Evaluating Douglas Fir’s Provenances in Romania Through Multi-Trait Selection
Plants
Douglas fir
common garden experiments
multi-trait selection
genotype–environment interaction
non-native tree species
title Evaluating Douglas Fir’s Provenances in Romania Through Multi-Trait Selection
title_full Evaluating Douglas Fir’s Provenances in Romania Through Multi-Trait Selection
title_fullStr Evaluating Douglas Fir’s Provenances in Romania Through Multi-Trait Selection
title_full_unstemmed Evaluating Douglas Fir’s Provenances in Romania Through Multi-Trait Selection
title_short Evaluating Douglas Fir’s Provenances in Romania Through Multi-Trait Selection
title_sort evaluating douglas fir s provenances in romania through multi trait selection
topic Douglas fir
common garden experiments
multi-trait selection
genotype–environment interaction
non-native tree species
url https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/9/1347
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AT georgetamihai evaluatingdouglasfirsprovenancesinromaniathroughmultitraitselection
AT virgilscarlatescu evaluatingdouglasfirsprovenancesinromaniathroughmultitraitselection
AT alexandruluciancurtu evaluatingdouglasfirsprovenancesinromaniathroughmultitraitselection