Elemental profiles for Douglas-fir seeds: evidence of genetic control

Abstract

Seeds from four ramets in each of six clones of 17-year-old Douglas-fir, Pseudotsugamenziesii (Mirb.) Franco, grown in a Saanichton, B.C., seed orchard on common rootstock were examined by X-ray energy-dispersive spectrometry to determine variations in trace element profiles. These profiles were analysed by discriminant function analysis and shown to be specific for each clone with 80.4% of seeds being correctly classified to original clone. Since the ramets were all grown in a similar orchard environment, these results support the hypothesis that elemental uptake by seeds of Douglas-fir is under genetic control.