Growth of triploid clones observed as superior to diploid equivalents

A team of researchers from the Vietnamese Academy of Forest Sciences and the School of Natural Sciences at the University of Tasmania assessed the growth and adaptability of triploid Acacia clones over three years across sites in northern, central and southern Vietnam. Their observations were then compared with results from commercially planted diploid clones in the same three geographical regions.

One triploid Acacia hybrid clone (Acacia auriculiformis × mangium) consistently outperformed diploid clones across all sites, achieving mean annual growth increases of 30.1, 26.6 and 32.1 m3 ha−1 in northern, central and southern Vietnam, respectively. In addition, two other triploid hybrid clones outperformed diploid clones in southern Vietnam.

Triploid Acacia hybrid clones were also found to have a lower incidence of both Corticium salmonicolor (pink disease) and Ceratocystis disease than their diploid counterparts, while their wind-firmness was demonstrated to be either comparable with or superior to.

The promising nature of these results highlights triploid breeding as a genuine area of opportunity moving forward, both in Vietnam and other countries around the world. The findings will be of particular interest to local Australian researchers engaged in ongoing efforts to develop triploid clones of Eucalypts.

Source: Australian Forestry Journal