Segregation of Eucalyptus tereticornis Sm. clones for properties relevant to solid wood products

Introduction Wood quality is an important criterion in the selection of superior genotypes when breeding for solid wood. Methods Fourteen clones of Eucalyptus tereticornis Sm. were assessed for wood quality namely basic density, acoustic velocity, longitudinal growth strain and volumetric shrinkage. The effectiveness of the pilodyn in screening trees according to wood density was also evaluated. The relationship between the various wood quality variables was studied across the clones. Results A significant variation was observed in the wood quality between clones, but the variations within clones were not significant. The pilodyn penetration in the standing tree exhibited a strong negative correlation ( r = −0.74) with basic density. A moderate but significant positive relationship ( r = 0.61) was observed between the acoustic velocity and basic density. The standing tree’s acoustic velocity was strongly associated with log velocity ( r = 0.88). These results suggest that the standing tree measurements namely pilodyn penetration, acoustic velocity and longitudinal growth strain can efficiently be used as fast mass screening methods for wood quality in E. tereticornis . Conclusions The absence of any association of longitudinal growth strain with any of the measured wood quality parameters suggests that superior clones having low growth strains can be selected for solid wood production without compromising other important wood properties. Four clones were identified with superior wood properties suitable for solid wood products.