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Crown Shaping in a Slash Pine Seed Orchard

A seed orchard of high-gum-yielding slash pines was established for seed production and demonstration purposes in 1957 near Lake City, Florida. A tree shaping (pruning) study was imposed at age 9. Pruning decreased cone production slightly but limited height growth for ease of cone collection. Cone production for the first 10 years was generally curvilinear, rising with age. Good seed crops occurred every other year. Tree shaking removed only about 60 percent of the cones on both pruned and unpruned trees. Insect damage to cones and inbreeding effects are also discussed.


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Author(s): Charles R. Gansel

Publication: Tree Improvement and Genetics - Southern Forest Tree Improvement Conference - 1977

Section: Session 2: Seed Orchard Technology