GROWTH AND BIOMASS OF TWO-YEAR-OLD SEEDLINGS OF EUROPEAN CHESTNUT DERIVED FROM THE HALF-SIB FAMILIES OF DIFFERENT ORIGIN

In the spring of 2005, seeds collected in twelve different half-sib families being at the age of 40 years and originated from mother trees grown on four different localities of Slovakia were used to established an experimental plot in the forest nursery Hladomer, Slovakia. At the age of 2 years, in each of 12 sets of seedlings 15 seedlings differing in growth performance were selected (5 from each replication) and subjected to morphometric analysis. In each seedling 5 biometric characteristics (stem height, stem diameter, root length, root diameter, diameter of the root collar), 3 single biomass characteristics (biomass of the stem and branches, root biomass, leaf biomass), 2 combined biomass characteristics (aboveground biomass and total seedling biomass) and three derived parameters (index of annual stem height increment, index of annual stem diameter increment and foliage ratio -proportion of leaf dry matter and total dry aboveground matter of the seedling) were evaluated. All characteristics under study except indices and foliage ratio exhibited significantly highest mean values in the seedlings derived from three half-sib families of Horne Lefantovce origin, particularly from the HL A family. The seedlings derived from this family showed significantly highest values of aboveground and underground biomass but the second lowest foliage ratio. This suggests the high effective use of leaves for biomass production in these seedlings. Foliage ratio was in medium strong negative correlation with most of the growth and biomass characteristics.