Revised Heritability Estimates for Cupressus Lusitanica in East Africa

Abstract

A report of progeny trials in Kenya and Tanzania, with a total of 41 open-pollinated families of C. lusitanica. Estimates of heritability ranged from 0.87 to 0.26 for ht. growth, from 0.93 to nil for stem diam., from 0.70 to 0.11 for stem form and from 0.90 to nil for damage by cypress canker disease [caused by the fungus Monochaetia unicornis]. Thinning the trial plots reduced within-family and between-family variances, and resulted in reduced heritability values. No consistent change in heritability values with age (up to 10 yr from field planting) was observed. From authors' summary.