Tissue-culture shoot and root system effects on field performance of loblolly pine

Abstract

To study differences in growth between loblolly pine (Pinustaeda L.) tissue-culture plantlets and seedlings, shoot systems of plantlets and seedlings were grafted onto plantlet and seedling root systems. After three growing seasons, plantlet root systems accounted for 0.3 m of height growth loss and 1.0 cm of loss in basal diameter, while plantlet shoot systems accounted for 0.6 m of height growth loss and 1.4 cm of loss in basal diameter. The mature-appearing morphology of plantlet shoots was due to the shoot system of plantlets and not to the indirect effect of the plantlet root system.