Breeding for Increased Stiffness

For these reasons the consequences of introducing a species to a new region are generally difficult to predict and it is desirable to grow that species in a limited way before becoming committed to a major plantation programme. The end results are often unforseen and there have been numerous disappointments. 

A genetic x environment interaction is frequently present but can be managed in trials within the same breeding zone. For example, geneticists usually focus on those families that show consistent response across various sites within a breeding zone to avoid complicated deployment schemes. Ecologists may like to study G x E interactions. Geneticists prefer to circumvent the issue. 

Most softwood plantations produce wood of passably quality, reasonably quickly and at acceptable cost. Mediocrity should not be equated with something shoddy. Wal-Mart sells goods cheaply, but they need not be shoddy. However, there has to be much greater attention to quality control (of which tree breeding is a crucial filter). The boundary between acceptable and unacceptable is more finely balanced and the choice of threshold values for performance is critical. A mediocre material is vulnerable, not because it is mediocre, but because part of the population is less than mediocre. The desire to off load, i.e. to sell as acceptable, that portion of the wood supply that is less than mediocre is an irresistible temptation (Gaunt, 1998). 

Finally it is worth reiterating that for hardwoods the key characteristics are different - brittleheart, growth stress, splitting and tension wood and collapse, high shrinkage and slow-drying. 

---