Genetic resistance to terminal weevil attack in Sitka Spruce
The terminal or white pine weevil is an extremely damaging pest to Sitka spruce plantations in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia. Fifteen-year records of weevil attack in Sitka spruce provenance trials in B.C. show marked differences in attack between provenance sources. Clonal re-testing of individuals selected from these provenance trials confirms this result. 90% - 100% of ramets from coastal fog-belt clones are attacked compared to some clones from the Georgia Lowlands / Puget Sound Basin that show no attack. Putative mechanisms to this genetic resistance have been identified and methods of deploying such resistance are discussed. Keywords: Sitka spruce, terminal weevil, insect resistance, provenance variation.
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Author(s): J. N. King, Cheng C. Ying
Publication: Tree Improvement and Genetics - Southern Forest Tree Improvement Conference - 1993
Section: Concurrent Session 4: Breeding and Progeny Testing