Mass and individual selection (in the field)
The selection of populations and groups of trees (mass selection), as well as the selection of individual trees (plus trees and elite trees, individual selection) comprise:
- Study of the most important characteristics of the stem and crown (sweep, form quotient, forking, the shape of the crown, bole clearness and other phenotypic characteristics)
- Measurements of the most important morphometric characteristics of the stem and crown (height, diameter at breast height, height to the first branch, branch length, diameter of the crown, etc.).
Pollen analysis (in the field, in the laboratory)
- Collection of floral catkins (in the field), maturation and extraction of pollen grains (in the laboratory),
- Measurement of pollen grains using the microscope (length and width of the pollen grains) (in the laboratory),
- Pollen germination by Kobel method (in the laboratory),
- Calculation of the germination rate (% of germinated pollen grains on microscope) (in the laboratory),
- Calculation of the pollen germination vigour (based on the microscopic measurement of the length of pollen tubes) (in the laboratory),
- Pollen drying (in an oven at about 30°) (in the laboratory),
- Storage of pollen at low temperatures (-20°) (in the laboratory).
Morpho-anatomical analysis of needles (in the laboratory)
- Measurement of the length of needles (in mm) (using the micrometer)
- Measurement of the width of needles (in μm) (using the microscope)
- Measurement of the thickness of needles (in μm) (using the microscope)
- Measurement of the epidermis and the cuticle (in μm) (using the microscope)
- Measurement of the thickness of the hypodermal layer (using the microscope)
- Counting the number of hypodermis rows (using the microscope)
- Counting the number of resin ducts (using the microscope)
- Measurement of the resin duct diameter (in μm) (using the microscope)
- Observation of the resin duct position (using the microscope)
Morphological analysis of conifer seedlings (in the laboratory and nursery)
- Measurement of the length of the first, second, and third order roots (in mm) (using the micrometer)
- Measurement of the aboveground part of the plant (in mm) (using the micrometer)
- Measurement of the cotyledon length (in mm) (using the micrometer)
- Counting cotyledons
- Measurement of the length of primary needles (in mm) (using the micrometer)
- Counting primary needles
- Measurement of the length of secondary needles (in mm) (using the micrometer)
- Counting secondary needles
Statistical analysis (Statgraphics Plus computer software)
- Descriptive statistics
- Correlation analysis
- Regression analysis