Research on the Growth,Wood Properties of Hybrid Pine in South China

The volume of 15 year old superior hybrid pine at Zhanjiang(Pinus caribaea var. caribaea ×Pinus elliottii var. elliottii mixed pollen,PCC×PEE)is 2.3 times greater than its parents 1.66 times greater than its female parent(PCC).This superior hybrid pine cross combination could be used in our tropical coast region.The average 3 families of the volume of 7 year old hybrid pine(PEE× Pinus caribaea var. hondurensis,PEE×PCC)from Queensland,Australia is 2.0 times greater than the average volume of 60 families of PEE.This hybrid pine could be used in our southern subtropical regions.Wood densitometry and fibre length measurement for PCC,PEE hybrid pine showed that:the average ring density and latewood% of hybrid pine lay between those of PCC PEE;the radial variation patterns of the 3 woods were about the same,an increase trend started from the pith level off at the 8th to 9th ring;near the pith,fibre length of the hybrid pine was greater than that of the PCC PEE;while near the bark,between them.Our climate site conditions are more complex than Queensland,so that we must select different superior cross combination of hybrid pine for the different climatic zone.Using vegetative propagation,hybrid pine could be used in the operational forestry.