..... , '. :. 

EFFECTS OF 'THINNING AND FERTILIZING 

ON PRODUCTION OF 

WESTERN WHITE PINE SEED 

BURTON V. BARNES 

RESEARCH PAPER INT - 58, 1969 

Intermountain Forest & Range 

Experiment Station 

Ogden, Utah 

This file was created by scanning the printed publication.

Errors identified by the software have been corrected;

however, some errors may remain.
COVER PHOTO 

Cathedral Peak 

THE AUTHOR 

DR . BURTON V. BARNES was Research Forester at 

Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station's Forestry Sciences Laboratory, located in 

Moscow, Idaho, from 1959 to 1963. His research 

while there was concerned with genetic improvement of growth and form in western white pine. 

Dr. Barnes received his Ph.D. degree from the 

University of Michigan in 1959. His interest in 

natural variation, both genetic and environmental, 

led him to study for a year in Stuttgart, Germany, 

at the Abteilung Botanik und Standortskunde der 

Baden -Wtirttembergischen Forstlichen Versuchsund Forschungsanstalt. He is now Associate Professor of Forestry, School of Natural Resources, 

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. 

seed production area, 

Coeur d'Alene National 

Forest, after thinning. 
USDA Forest Service 

Research Paper INT-58 \ 

EFFECTS OF THINNING AND FERTILIZING ON PRODUCTION 

OF WESTERN WHITE PINE SEED 

Burton V. Barnes 

1969 

INTERMOUNTAIN FOREST AND RANGE EXPERIMENT STATION 

Forest Service 

U. S. Department of Agriculture 

Ogden, Utah 84401 

Joseph F. Pechanec, Director 
Use of trade names in this publication is solely for identification and does not imply 

endorsement by the USDA Forest Service. 
EFFECTS OF THINNING AND FERTILIZING ON PRODUCTION 

OF WESTERN WhITE PINE SEED 

Burton V. Barnes 

INTRODUCTION 

Artificial regeneration has increased markedly during recent years. Between 1950 

and 1960 the number of acres planted annually in the United States by all agencies increased from about 500,000 to 2,100,000. Subsequently, planting declined but has apparently leveled off at about 1,300,000 acres per year (31).1 To provide enough nursery stock for this tempo of planting, production of seed of good genetic quality needs 

to be increased and stabilized. 

Seed production areas and seed orchards have been established to fill this need. 

A seed production area is typically a stand of desirable trees set aside for seed 

production and usually given special cultural treatments to increase seed production. 

In contrast, a seed orchard is a plantation of trees (established by grafting or from 

cuttings or seedlings) that have been rigorously selected and have been or are being 

tested to determine their genetic worth. Typically, seed production areas provide a 

temporary source of seed until seed orchards come into production and provide markedly 

improved seed. The number of seed production areas is increasing rapidly--already 

10,068 acres are now devoted to this use in the United States (31). 

In 1959 the Northern Region of the U.S. Forest Service (Region 1) established a 

western white pine seed production area near Cathedral Peak in Coeur d'Alene National 

Forest to provide good quality seed from a highly regarded source. Experiments were 

begun in this area to determine the effects of thinning and fertilizing upon tree, cone, 

and seed traits as well as on growth (24). 

BACKGROUND 

Literature describing the establishment and management of seed production areas 

has been summarized by Rudolf (22, 23) and Zobel et al. (33). A general review of 

factors affecting seed production, including insect and disease problems, was published 

by Hoekstra et al. (13); and Matthews (16) published an excellent review of seed production. A brief review of the differentiation of floral primordia and the effects of 

thinning and fertilizing upon strobilus and cone production 2 of fruiting-age trees is 

pertinent to the results presented. 

The stage of physiological development of a tree and the time of differentiation 

of floral buds are two of the most important factors affecting cone production. It 

is well known that juvenile trees typically do not flower, whereas those in the adult 

stage are physiologically capable of flowering. In this paper we are concerned only 

with trees in the adult stage and with the factors that stimulate primordium and 

cone production. 

The time of visual recognltlon (microscopic and macroscopic) of floral primordia 

in the soft pines is later than in the hard pines. Present evidence indicates that 

hard pines are typically more advanced in primordium development at any given time than 

INumbers in parentheses refer to items in Literature Cited. 

2To distinguish between two arbitrary developmental stages of the female reproductive organ in this paper, the term strobilus is used to designate this structure as 

the newly formed organ, while the overwintering form and all stages thereafter are 

termed cone. 
ill 

! ' 

soft pines; thus it is not unreasonable to expect that the beginning of differentiation 

of floral structures may be earlier. 

Male and female strobili of ponderosa pine and Austrian pine are detectable by eye 

in September. Mergen and Koerting (17) reported that male and female floral primordia 

of slash pine were recognizable by mid-July and late August, respectively, of the year 

before flowering. However, floral primordia of soft pines are not as easily detectable. 

In repeated histological work with eastern white pine, Ferguson (8) was never 

able to find male strobili in the fall. They were visible only by late April or 

early May of the year of flowering. She found female strobili visible (histologically) 

only in late April or early May. 

Owston (19) found no reproductive primordia in fall and winter buds of young 

eastern white pine even though female cones were present 011 some study trees. 3 He 

believed this was due to lack of visible differentiation until the following spring. 

Although the same might be true for male strobili, Owston's trees produced negligible 

numbers of male cones, and failure to identify them could well have been due to their 

absence from the samples. Owston found the developmental cycle in southeastern Michigan 

such that male primordia might be differentiated, but not necessarily visible, in 

early July. Female cones might be differentiated toward the end of August, but would 

not look any different than vegetative primordia until the following spring. 

Stephens (28) found fully differentiated male strobili in mid-November collections 

of terminal buds from four eastern white pine trees, but not in late August collections. 

However, he did not report finding male strobili in all trees; hence it is possible 

that considerable variation might exist among individual trees. Although differentiation of female primordia "may possibly occur the season prior to flowering," the 

"actual development of the strobili does not occur until resumption of growth by 

the bud in early spring," Stephens said. 

Konar and Ramchandani (14) working with Pinus wallichiana Jacks. (=P. griffithii 

McClelland) reported that male strobili were "initiated" from the middle-of October 

to the beginning of November and female strobili were "initiated" in February. In 

short, evidence indicates that in the soft pines, (a) male primordia are differentiated 

and microscopically visible before female primordia and (b) that male primordia are 

microscopically visible in late fall, but for female primordia differentiation occurs 

in the spring of the following year. 

Generally, the release of seed trees increases production of strobili and cones; 

cone production is inversely proportional to stand density (1, 5, 6, 10, 20, 32). 

Florence and ivlcWilliam (9) found that the stand densi ty that maximizes cone production 

per tree is much lower than one giving maximum production per acre. For young slash 

pine, the density for optimum production was approximately 120 trees per acre. Pollen 

production closely followed the trends in cone production. Allen and Trousdell (1) 

found that release significantly increased the proportion of sound seed of loblolly 

pine; Reukema (21) observed no increase in sound seed following thinning of Douglasfir stands. In years of generally light strobilus formation, release apnarently 

has little effect on strobilus production (20, 21). 

Fertilizing is definitely known to stimulate cone and seed production in numerous 

forest species, but results are too varied to permit a definite prescription (16). 

The amount of response depends greatly upon the genetically determined ability to 

flower, kind and time of treatment, and conditions of the environment. Steinbrenner 

3Also personal communication from P. W. Owston, July 2, 1968. 

2 
et al. (27) found that a combined application of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers 

increased cone length and seed weight in Douglas-fir. The highest treatment levels of 

both fertilizers caused the greatest increase in seed weight. Mergen and Voight (18)' 

reported that fertilizer treatments produced heavier slash pine seeds. However, in one 

previous experiment with western white pine, fertilizer was ineffective in stimulating 

strobilus production of fruiting-age trees (2). 

Much less is known about fruiting response related to time of differentiation of 

flower buds and timing of cultural treatments. Applying fertilizer to precede or 

coincide with differentiation of flower buds may markedly increase cone production (30). 

Owston's investigations of eastern white pine in Michigan indicated that application of 

fertilizer in August could influence existing primordia that have the potential for 

becoming male cones and could possibly affect both the number and condition of the 

primordia that have a female potential. 4 Since floral primordia could abort, presumably 

at any time between differentiation and anthesis, improving nutrition (through fertilizing) or increasing moisture availability (through thinning) any time after initiation could reduce abortion and thus increase the number of strobili available for 

pollination and subsequent development. Some evidence of reduction of abortion is 

available (27). 

Insects may cause serious losses to cone crops of both eastern and western white 

pine (3, 12). Larvae of the cone beetle, Conophthorus monticolae Hopkins, and larvae 

of the cone moths, Eucosma rescissoriana Heinrich and Dioryctria abietella (D.&S.), 

may destroy or severely damage western white pine cones. 

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SEED PRODUCTION AREA 

AND EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN 

Personnel from the Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station and the 

National Forest System cooperated in selecting the site of the seed production area. 

Some of the criteria for selection of the site were: presence of young, high quality 

trees in natural stands or plantations; trees in plantation from a known source; 

presence of cones on trees; accessibility of site in spring and fall; flatness of 

terrain; absence of debris and brush; proximity to water; and homogeneity of soil. 

Meeting all these requirements was difficult. The site selected from 15 alternatives 

on the Coeur d'Alene National Forest was a young plantation that was producing exceptionally large numbers of cones, and it was located on relatively level terrain. The 

growth of this stand exceeded that of natural western white pine stands of comparable 

age (4). Some disadvantages were its relative inaccessibility, lack of water, and lack 

of exact information about the provenance of the planted stock it originated from. 

In September 1959, two areas (Units 1 and 2), each approximately 3 acres and 

located about 1 mile apart, were selected in a 40-year-old plantation near Cathedral 

Peak, Coeur d'Alene National Forest, Shoshone County, Idaho. Later that fall, each 

unit was subdivided and thinned. One subunit was thinned to a spacing of approximately 

30 by 30 feet (48 trees per acre) and the other to 20 by 20 feet (109 trees per acre). 

Before thinning, the spacing was approximately 9 by 9 feet (538 trees per acre). 

Seed trees were selected on the basis of freedom from lethal blister rust cankers, 

spacing, fruitfulness, form, and vigor. When the area was thinned, a small amount of 

slash was chipped. The remainder of the slash was chipped in June and July 1960, and 

left in piles. Tree boles too large to chip were piled within the area. Trees were 

pruned to about 8 feet, and l4-inch aluminum bands were attached to all trees to prevent squirrels from cutting the cones. The total cost for establishment of the area, 

excluding overhead and research costs, was about $1,000 per acre. Because of the high 

cost of thinning, chipping, and clearing, isolation strips were not provided. 

4Ibid. 

3 
In June 1960, three circular 1/10-acre sample plots were established in each subunit and three in the unthinned plantation surrounding each unit. Thus, nine sample 

plots were established in or near each of the two units. 

Thinning did not produce the planned number of trees per acre on the sample plots. 

Angle summation (25) and counts of number of trees per 1/10-acre plot in 1962 indicated 

that the actual average spacing on the six thinned sample plots in Unit 1 was similar: 

87 and 84 trees per acre for the 20-foot and 30-foot spacings, respectively. In Unit 

2, spacings of the thinned stands were substantially different: 93 trees per acre for 

the 20-foot spacing and 60 trees per acre for the 30-foot spacing. Combined data for 

both units indicated the Jifference in density (angle summation data) between the 

20-foot and 30-foot spacings was not significant (P>.lO). In analysis of data for the 

three levels of spacing, the most significant results were the differences between 

thinned and unthinned stands. 

In each level of spacing, two of the three plots were fertilized in August 1960 

and 1961 to coincide with early-fall precipitation. Fertilizer treatments were assigned 

at random. One plot received approximately 300 pounds per acre each of nitrogen (N), 

phosphorus pentoxide (P2 0S), potassium oxide (K2 0) in a 13-13-13 commercial fertilizer. s 

The per-acre application rates for elemental nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium were 

approximately 312, 136, and 259 pounds, respectively. This treatment was designated 

NPK. The other fertilized plot received approximately 300 pounds per acre of elemental 

nitrogen in the form of ammonium nitrate (NH4N0 3 ). The third plot was untreated. 

The three dominant trees nearest to plot center were selected as sample trees for 

counts of male and female strobili and for cone collections. Additional cone collections were made in the next three dominant trees closest to plot center. 

In late June or early July of 1960, 1961, and 1962, each of the three sample trees 

nearest to plot center was climbed, and the male and female strobili were counted. 

Each year the numbers of strobili and cones were recorded for all branches in whorls 

originating from 1954 through 1957; some strobili and cones were counted on whorls 1955 

to 1958. An analysis of variance of 1961 strobilus production data indicated betweentree variance was approximately twice that of between-whorl -variance. Consequently 

in 1962, strobilus and cone counts were made on six sample trees instead of three. The 

strobilus count of 1 year was checked and corrected by the cone count of the following 

spring. 

In late August or early September of 1960, 1961, and 1962, cones were counted and 

collected from the six sample trees. Climbers were instructed to collect six uninfested cones from the sample whorls. The number of cones and their condition (infested 

or uninfested) on the sample whorls were recorded at that time. In the unthinned 

plots, cones were covered by cloth bags before collection to prevent squirrel cutting. 

The cones from each sample tree were spread out to dry in a greenhouse. Seeds 

were extracted with extreme care and cone lengths were measured. Seeds were dewinged 

and winnowed, and hollow and sound seeds were counted; sound'seeds were weighed. 

Despite precautions, some infested cones were collected. In 1961 and 1962, insect 

attack was so heavy that infested cones had to be collected from some trees. Seed from 

infested cones was extracted separately. 

Branches for male strobilus counts were chosen at midcrown in the center of the 

male-flowering portion of each sample tree. One branch was selected on the north side 

and one on the south side of the tree. Male strobilus clusters were counted on these 

SFertilizer was suprlied by Cominco Products Inc., Spokane, Washington. 

4 
branches of each of the three sample trees. The number of strobili per cluster was 

determined by sampling and the total number of strobili for each branch was estimated 

(number of clusters X average strobili per cluster). 

Analysis of variance was used to determine the effects of spacing and fertilizing 

upon the following variables: female strobilus production, male strobilus production, 

percentage of hollow seed, seed weight, cone length, number of seed per centimeter of 

cone length, seed production per tree, and seed production per acre. 

RESULTS 

Female Strobilus Production 

Strobilus production increased in response to thinning (table 1). The difference 

between the thinned and unthinned stands was significant (P<.05) in 1960 and highly 

significant (P<.Ol) in 1961 and 1962. Strobilus production per whorl in the 30- by 

30-foot spacing was significantly greater than that in the 20- by 20-foot spacing in 

1960 (P<.06) and 1962 (P<.025). 

Response to fertilizing was less marked, but strobilus production increased 

significantly in the fertilized plots in 1961 (P<.05). This was the first year 

fertilizer could have been effective because it was not applied until the fall of 1960. 

In 1962, strobilus production in the fertilized plots was 33 percent greater than in 

unfertilized plots, but this difference was not significant (P>.lO). Nitrogen alone 

increased strobilus production as much as did the complete fertilizer. Fertilizing 

brought about a deep, blue-green needle color and increased needle length. The deep, 

bluish-green color was more striking in NPK plots than in nitrogen-only plots. 

Year 

19592 

1960 

1961 

1962 

Table l.--Average female strobilus production per whorl before 

and after thinning (1959) and ferti Ii zing (1960 and 

1961), Units 1 and 2 combined! 

Spacing (ignoring fertilizer) Fertilizer (ignoring spacing) 

Unthinned 20' 30' Unfertilized N NPK 

---------------------Number of strobili--------------------

4.2 4.3 5.6 4.3 4.5 5.3 

---Thinned---

1.5 2.3 3.9 2.9 3.0 1.8 

--Fertilized--

2.1 7.1 8.5 3.6 7.0 7.1 

--Fertilized--

1.4 3.7 5.9 3.0 4.3 3.7 

lAverages based upon strobilus counts for four whorls in each of 

three trees per 1/10-acre plot. The data for 1962 are based upon counts 

in six trees per plot. 

2The number of female cones counted in the spring of 1960 was used 

to estimate production of 1959 female strobili before thinning and 

fertilizing. 

5 
Male Strobilus Production 

Production of male strobili was significantly greater (P<.025) in the spring of 

1960 on the trees released by thinning in October 1959 than on trees in the unthinned 

stand (table 2). Male strobilus production was also greater in the fertilized plots 

in 1961 and 1962 than on unfertilized plots, but the difference was not significant 

either year (P>.lO). Strobilus production in 1962 was light and erratic. 

Cone Length 

Thinning caused a marked reduction in cone length (table 3). In 1960 no effect 

of treatment was noted. In 1961 the cones in unthinned plots were significantly longer 

than those in thinned plots (P<.025) and cones in plots with 20-foot spacing were 

significantly longer than those in plots with 30-foot spacing (P<.05). In 1962, cones 

in the unthinned plots were again significantly longer (P<.07) than cones in thinned 

plots. 

Cones in fertilized plots were significantly longer than those in unfertilized 

plots in 1961 and 1962 (P<.005). In 1961 cones in plots receiving complete fertilizer 

were significantly longer (P<.05) than cones in plots receiving nitrogen only. 

Sound Seed Per Centimeter of Cone Length 

The effect of thinning and fertilizing upon the number of sound seed per centimeter 

of cone length was negligible. 

6 

Table 2.--Average production of male strobili per sample branch after 

thinning (1959) and fertilizing (1960 and 1961), Units 1 and 

2 combined! 

Spacing (ignoring fertilizer) Fertilizer (ignoring spacing) 

Year Unthinned 20' 30' Unfertilized N NPK 

---------------------Number of strobili--------------------

--Thinned--

1960 140 303 363 265 305 236 

--Fertilized--

1961 409 500 345 379 458 416 

- - Ferti 1 i zed---

1962 119 62 76 8 102 146 

lAverage based on estimates of strobili on each of two branches on three 

trees per plot. 
Table ~.--Average cone length (cm.) after thinning (1959) and fertilizing 

(1960 and 1961), Units 1 and 2 combinedl 

Spacing (ignoring fertilizer) Fertilizer (ignoring spacing) 

Year Unthinned 20' 30' Unfertilized N NPK 

--Thinned--

1960 17.4 17.0 16.5 16.7 l6.S 17.4 

--Fertilized--

1961 lS.O 17.2 16.2 l5.S 17.2 lS.3 

--Fertilized--

1962 lS.O 17.3 17.1 l5.S lS.l lS.4 

lAverage cone length based on an average of six cones per tree, six 

trees per plot in 1960; five cones per tree, four trees per plot in 1961; 

and five cones per tree, six trees per plot in 1962. 

Percentage of Hollow Seed 

In all but one instance no significant difference in percentage of hollow seed was 

found for the treatments during the 3 years of seed collection. The only exception was 

in 1962 when treatment with complete fertilizer resulted in a significantly lower percentage of hollow seed (P<.005) than did treatment with nitrogen. Apparently there is 

sufficient pollen in the thinned area to maintain adequate production of sound seed 

on individual trees. 

Seed Weight 

Spacing had less effect on seed weight than did ferti Ii zing (tab Ie 4). In 1961 

and 1962 the seed weight in plots with 30-foot spacing was less than that in either the 

unthinned plots or those with 20-foot spacing. In 1961, the difference in seed weight 

between plots with 20- and 30-foot spacing was significant (P<.07). 

Seed weight in fertilized plots was significantly greater (P<.005) than in the 

unfertilized plots in 1961 and 1962. Seed weight was 5 percent greater after treatment 

with complete fertilizer than after treatment with nitrogen in 1961 and 1962, but the 

difference was not significant (P>.lO). 

No significant difference (P>.lO) was found in the weight of seed from infested 

and uninfested cones regardless of treatment. 

Table 4.--Average weight per seed (mg.) after thinning (1959) and fertilizing 

(1960 and 1961), Units 1 and 2 combined! 

SEacing (ignoring fertilizer) Fertilizer (ignoring sEacing) 

Year Unthinned 20' 30' Unfertilized N NPK 

--Thinned--

1960 16.2 16.2 16.2 16.0 16.7 l5.S 

--Fertilized--

1961 20.2 21.9 19.1 17.5 21.4 22.3 

--Fertilized--

1962 lS.5 lS.3 lS.O 16.4 lS.7 19.5 

lAverages based on seed collected from an average of six trees per plot, 

six cones per tree in 1960; four trees per plot, four cones per tree in 1961; 

and six trees per plot, five cones per tree in 1962. 

7 
Seed Production Per Tree 

Data for production of female strobili, cone length, and average number of seed 

per centimeter of cone length were used to compute seed production per tree (table 5). 

To compute total strobilus production per tree, strobilus production based on the fourwhorl sample was doubled. This adjustment was determined by complete counts of strobili 

on 24 trees that were topped in 1961 and on a second group of 12 trees (untreated sample 

trees in plots in the thinned stand). The total count for both groups was almost 

exactly twice the number of strobili in the four-whorl sample. 

To account for overwinter loss, i.e., the difference between number of strobili 

produced and the number developing into mature cones the following spring, 10 percent 

was deducted from the total strobilus production per tree for each plot. This deduction was based upon a loss in strobili from June 1960 to June 1961, and from June 1961 

to June 1962 of 11 percent and 8 percent, respectively. 

Thinning significantly increased per-tree seed production in 1960 (P<.025), 1961 

(P<.005), and 1962 (P<.005). Seed production in plots with 30-foot spacing was 

significantly greater in 1960 and 1962 than in plots with 20-foot spacing (P<.08 and 

P<.05, respectively). 

Use of fertilizer significantly increased production per tree in 1961 (P<.06) and 

1962 (P<.05). No significant difference was found between treatments with nitrogen and 

treatments with complete fertilizer. 

Year 

1960 

1961 

1962 

Table 5.--Seeds produced per tree after thinning (1959) and 

fertilizing (1960 and 1961), Units 1 and 2 combined 

Spacing (ignoring fertilizer) Fertilizer (ignoring 

Unthinned 20' 30' Unfertilized N 

--Thinned--

8,143 13,540 21,128 16,095 16,533 

sEacing) 

NPK 

10,183 

--Ferti1ized--

12,549 48,244 53,316 20,876 46,122 47,111 

--Fertilized--

8,833 25,562 37,638 17,580 27,631 26,822 

Seed Production Per Acre 

The seed production per acre was computed by multiplying the number of seed per 

tree by the actual number of trees per acre (table 6). The number of trees per acre 

was determined not by simply computing the theoretical number per acre for 9-foot, 

20-foot, and 30-foot spacings, but by counting the trees in each plot. For the unthinned plots the number of trees was arbitrarily reduced by one-third before computing 

seed production per acre. This was done to account for intermediate and suppressed 

trees that would not produce as many cones as the average in unthinned sample plots. 

This reduction is thought to give a conservative estimate of seed production in the 

unthinned stand. 

8 
In 1960, the seed production in the unthinned plots was significantly greater than 

that in the thinned plots (P<.07). In 1961 and 1962, the difference between seed 

production in unthinned and thinned plots was not significant (P>.lO), although the 

production in unthinned plots was greater in both years. 

Use of fertilizer significantly increased seed production per acre in 1961 (P<.05) 

but not in 1962 (P>.lO). 

Table 6.--Seed production per acre after thinning (1959) and fertilizing 

(1960 and 1961), Units 1 and 2 combined 

Year 

1960 

1961 

1962 

Spacing (ignoring fertilizer) Fertilizer (ignoring spacing) 

Unthinned 20' 30' Unfertilized N NPK 

--------------------Thousands of seed-----------------------

2,912 

4,503 

3,182 

--Thinned--

1,212 1,604 2,137 

4,194 3,652 2,613 

2,250 2,794 2,399 

Infestation by Cone Insects 

2,265 1,326 

--Fertilized--

4,873 4,863 

--Fertilized--

3,187 2,640 

The number of cones infested with larvae of cone moths (primarily Eucosma 

rescissoriana Heinrich) was estimated in 1960, 1961, and 1962 (table 7). The thinned 

plots consistently showed greater loss than the unthinned plots. In 1961, the loss 

in seed production in Unit 1 was serious, but in Unit 2 it was catastrophic: of the 

32 trees bearing cones in the spring in the six plots in the thinned stand of Unit 2, 

only four trees bore uninfested cones in the fall. Only 3 percent of the total cones 

borne in spring by these 32 trees was uninfested when cones were collected in late 

August. Although cone insects do not ordinarily destroy the entire cone (3), the 

damage is serious. In 1961 and 1962, damage was great enough to preclude cone collection throughout the thinned stand. In 1962, insect activity was apparently somewhat 

greater in the adjacent unthinned area than it had been in previous years. 

Genetic Gain 

At most, little genetic gain in growth rate can be expected among trees reared 

from seed collected in the Cathedral Peak Seed Production Area. The selection intensity 

(only about 15 percent), method of selection, and heritability preclude achievement of 

more than minimal gain for any given trait, such as growth rate. 

Seed trees were selected for the following characteristics in descending order of 

importance: freedom from blister rust, spacing, seed production, freedom from recurrent 

forking, good vigor, long crowns, and fine branching. Seed trees were chosen for 

several characters that probably have no significant correlation with growth rate. 

Consequently the growth rate of selected trees may not be significantly different from 

the mean of the whole population. Also, as Lush (15) demonstrated, the gain for any 

one character rapidly diminishes as the number of uncorre1ated traits selected increases. A low heritability for growth traits apparently operates in juvenile western 

white pine, according to Squillace et a1. (26) and Hanover and Barnes (11). This also 

would act to reduce the potential gain. 

9 

iL 
Table 7.---Estimated percentages of cones infested by insects in sample 

trees, Units 1 and 2 combined 

Spacing 

Year Unthinned 20' 30' 

1960 1 10.0 15.0 32.2 

19612 11.8 56.4 65.8 

1962 3 22.0 69.7 79.2 

1Estimates based on fall examinations of all cones counted in 

sample trees in the spring of 1960. Besides visibly infested cones, 

missing cones and cones that squirrels had cut were presumed infested. 

2Estimates based on the number of cones infested out of the six 

best cones collected from each tree. This estimate is conservative 

since it does not consider many trees where collections were not made 

because all cones were infested. 

3In thinned areas, estimates were based on fall examination of 

all cones counted in sample trees in the spring of 1962. In the unthinned plots, only cones on the tree at time of the fall examination 

formed the basis of the estimate, but many of them had been cut by 

squirrels. 

Finally, no isolation strip was provided. The thinned areas were completely surrounded by unselected trees, and abundant exchange of pollen is highly probable. 

DISCUSSION 

The most interesting result was the significant increase (approximately 14 percent) in production of male strobili that occurred in the spring following heavy thinning in early October. This is apparently no anomaly since observations in thinned 

and unthinned portions of the stand confirmed' the counts of strobili. It is reasonable 

to suppose that the thinnings acted to produce a more favorable physiological condition 

for (a) differentiation of strobili if this occurred after thinning and/or (b) preventing abortion of strobili if thinning occurred after differentiation of flowerbuds. 

Until further information is available on the differentiation of flowerbuds of western 

white pine, it would seem that either or both of these possibilities may explain the 

findings. 

Considerable abortion of female flower buds is known to occur in the spring before 

pollination,6 and this also is probably true for male flower buds. Thus, a working 

hypothesis is that abortion is a constant process that starts soon after differentiation 

of floral initials and continues after pollination. Abortion may be directly affected 

by the physiological condition of the shoot and subject indirectly to cultural treatments that alter this condition. 

Applications of fertilizer late in the summer of 1960 resulted in a 96-percent 

increase in production of female strobili in 1961. Whether more buds were differentiated or less abortion occurred after differentiation was completed is unknown. 

Stephens (29) had similar results in an eastern white pine stand in Connecticut. He 

found that applying fertilizer in late July stimulated strobilus production the following year, but that treatment in early April the following year failed. The difference of approximately 1 month in time of summer application of fertilizer between 

6Personal communication, R. T. Bingham, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment 

, Station, July 10, 1967. 

10 
the Idaho and Connecticut experiments probably is not important. In northern Idaho, ' 

summers are hot and exceedingly dry. Therefore, applications were made to coincide 

with the first early fall precipitation, which typically occurs in late August or early 

September. It would have been important to fertilize earlier if the summer season had 

been relatively wet. 

As was observed in 1960, the technique for sampling male strobili was adequate to 

register only major changes in production. Apparently neither thinning nor fertilizing 

modified the large year-to-year differences. 

The practical significance of this study is now essentially academic since unimproved stock of western white pine is not planted at present in the Rocky Mountains 

because of inability to protect this species from white pine blister rust (7). However, 

several comments are appropriate since similar conditions may exist for other species 

in this region and elsewhere. 

Use of fertilizer significantly increased seed weight--some 21 percent. Two 

benefits from sowing heavier seeds--better germination and production of more vigorous 

seedlings--may be very important in nursery operations and regeneration. Mergen and 

Voight (18) concluded that the advantages of producing larger seeds sufficiently 

justified the cost of applying fertilizer. 

Conventional seed production areas may be neither necessary nor economically 

justifiable in the future. Preparation of such areas and thinning of stands are expensive. Genetic gain for species propagated from seed collected from such areas is 

probably negligible. Moreover, such areas are subject to increased incidence of attack 

by destructive insects. Apparently an unthinned but fertilized stand would be as 

productive as a thinned, fertilized stand, and would be markedly safer from infestation 

until efficient, safe, economical measures for insect control are available. A light 

thinning, to remove suppressed and intermediate trees that typically do not flower, 

might further increase productivity without starting a sharp increase in insect attack. 

Under the conditions stated above, the unthinned stand produced as much good seed 

per acre as the thinned stand. This conclusion must remain tentative because it is not 

known definitely that the number of trees per acre in the unthinned area, reduced by 

one-third, will actually produce the same average number of strobili per tree as trees 

in the sample plots. However, in the stands observed, a reduction of one-third seemed 

reasonable. 

Seed production per tree may be more important than seed production per acre where 

the selected trees respond well to cultural treatments, where there is enough pollen, 

and where insect control can be guaranteed. Costs of seed collection would be lower 

if cones were concentrated in a few trees rather than scattered over many. However, 

if collecting by hand is difficult and hazardous, and if cones can be obtained from 

squirrel caches, fertilized stands that are unthinned or lightly thinned may prove to 

be more desirable economically and may produce as satisfactorily in both quantity and 

quality of seed as drastically thinned and otherwise more highly cultured stands. 

11 
LITERATURE CITED 

1. Allen, Peter H., and Kenneth B. Trousdell. 

1961. Loblolly pine seed production in the Virginia-North Carolina Coastal 

Plain. J. Forest. 59: 187-190. 

2. Barnes, Burton V., and R. T. Bingham. 

1963. Flower induction and stimulation in western white pine. U.S. Forest 

Servo Res. Pap. INT-2, 10 pp. 

3. Barnes, Burton V., R. T. Bingham, and John A. Schenk. 

1962. Insect-caused loss to western white pine cones. U.S. Forest Serv., 

Intermountain Forest and Range Exp. Sta. Res. Note 102, 7 pp. 

4. Boyd, Raymond J., and Glenn H. Deitschman. 

1964. Development of young western white pine plantations. U.S. Forest Servo 

Res. Note INT-18, 6 pp. 

5. Croker, T. C. 

1952. Early release stimulates cone production. U.S. Forest Serv., Southern 

Forest and Range Exp. Sta., Southern Forest. Note 79, 3 pp. 

6. Easley, L. T. 

1954. Loblolly pine seed production areas. J. Forest. 52: 672-673. 

7. Evans, Samuel, Donald F. Williams, Danny On, and Jack R. Alley. 

1966. Annual planting and stand improvement report, Fiscal Year 1966, Region 

1. U.S. Forest Serv., Missoula, Mont. 9 pp. 

8. Ferguson, M. C. 

1904. Contribution to the knowledge of the life history of Pinus with special 

reference to sporogenesis, the development of the gametophytes and 

fertilization. Wash. Acad. Sci. Proc. 6: 1-202. 

9. Florence, R. G., and J. R. McWilliam. 

1956. The influence of spacing on seed production. Z. fur Forstgenetik und 

Forstpfz. 5: 97-102. 

10. Godman, R. M. 

1962. Red pine cone production stimulated by heavy thinning. U.S. Forest 

Serv., Lake States Forest Exp. Sta. Tech. Note 628, 2 pp. 

11. Hanover, James W., and Burton V. Barnes. 

1963. Heritability of height growth in year old western white pine. Forest 

Genetics Workshop Proc., Southern Forest Tree Impr. Comm. Sponsored 

Pub. 22: 71-76. 

12. Hocker, Harold W. 

1962. Stimulating conelet production of eastern white pine. Pp. 35-40 in 9th 

Northeastern Forest Tree Impr. Conf. Proc., U.S. Forest Serv., Northeastern Forest Exp. Sta., 74 pp. 

13. Hoekstra, P. E., E. P. Merkel, and H. R. Powers, Jr. 

1962. Production of seeds of forest trees. Yearbook of Agriculture, 1961; 

Yearbook Separate 3087: 227-232. 

14. Konar, R. N., and S. Ramchandani. 

12 

1958. The morphology and embryology of Pinus wallichiana Jack. Phytomorphology 

3: 328-346. 
15. Lush, Jay L. 

1945. Animal Breeding Plans. 443 pp. Ames, Iowa: Iowa State ColI. Press. 

16. Matthews, J. D. 

1963. Factors affecting the production of seed by forest trees. Forest. 

Abstr. 24: i-xiii. 

17. Mergen, F., and L. E. Koerting. 

1957. Initiation and development of flower primordia in slash pine. Forest. 

Sci. 3: 145-155. 

18. Mergen, Francois, and G. K. Voigt. 

1960. Effects of fertilizer applications on two generations of slash pine. 

Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. Proc. 24: 407-409. 

19. Owston, Peyton Wood. 

1966. Shoot apex development in eastern white pine saplings. Ph.D. Thesis, 

Univ. of Michigan, 152 pp. 

20. Phares, Robert E., and Nelson F. Rogers. 

1962. Improving shortleaf pine seed production in Missouri. J. Forest. 60: 

322-324. 

21. Reukema, Donald L. 

1961. Seed production of Douglas-fir increased by thinning. U.S. Forest 

Serv., Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Exp. Sta., Res. Note 210, 

5 pp. 

22. Rudolf, PaulO. 

1959. Seed production areas in the Lake States. U.S. Forest Serv., Lake 

States Forest Exp. Sta., Sta. Pap. 73, 16 pp. 

23. Rudolf, PaulO. 

1962. Seed production areas--a step toward better seed. Pp. 21-28 in 2nd 

Central States Forest Tree Impr. Conf. Proc., Dep. Forest. ,-rllinois 

Agr. Exp. Sta., 44 pp. 

24. Ryker, Russell A., and Robert D. Pfister. 

1967. Thinning and fertilizing increase growth in a western white pine seed 

production area. U.S. Forest Servo Res. Note INT-56, 3 pp. 

25. Spurr, Stephen H. 

1962. A measure of point density. Forest Sci. 8: 85-96. 

26. Squillace, A. E., R. T. Bingham, Gene Namkoong, and H. F. Robinson. 

1967. Heritability of juvenile growth rate and expected gain from selection 

in western white pine. Silvae Genet. 16: 1-6. 

27. Steinbrenner, E. C., J. W. Duffield, and R. K. Campbell. 

1960. Increased cone production of young Douglas-fir following nitrogen and 

phosphorus fertilization. J. Forest. 58: 105-110. 

28. Stephens, George R., Jr. 

1962. Flower stimulation in Pinus strobus L. Pp. 39-42 in 8th Northeastern 

Forest Tree Impr. Conf. Proc., U.S. Forest Serv~ Northeastern 

Forest Exp. Sta., 57 pp. 

13 

L 
29. Stephens, George R., Jr. 

1964. Stimulation of flowering in eastern white pine. Forest Sci. 10: 28-34. 

30. Stoate, T. N., I. ~1ahood, and E. C. Crossin. 

1961. Cone production in Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii). Empire Forest. 

Rev. 40: 105-110. 

31. U.S. Forest Service. 

1967. 1967 Report, Forest and windbarrier planting and seeding in the U.S. 

Tree Planters'Notes 18(5), 7 pp. 

32. Wenger, Karl F. 

1954. The stimulation of loblolly pine seed trees by pre-harvest release. 

J. Forest. 52: 115-118. 

33. Zobel, Bruce J., Franklin C. Cech, and Ray E. Goddard. 

14 

1956. Cost of seed collection from a pine seed production area. J. Forest. 

54: 750-755. 

AFLC/HAFB, Ogden 
I~ 

Barnes, Burton V. 

1969. Effects of thinning and fertilizing on production of western 

white pine seed. U. S. Dep. Agr., Forest Serv., Intermountain 

Forest and Range Exp. Sta., Ogden, Utah 84401. 14 pp., illus. 

(USDA Forest Servo Res. Pap. INT-58) 

In a 40-year-old western white pine plantation developed as a seed production area, heavy thinning and application of fertilizer in the fall 

significantly increased strobilus production the following spring. Applying fertilizer increased seed weight and cone lenbrth significantly, but 

thinning did not. Insects severely damaged the cone crop in the thinned 

stand. This study indicates that abundant seed crops, relatively free 

from insect damage, may be produced without expensive thinning and 

area preparation operations. 

Barnes, Burton V. 

1969. Effects of thinning and fertilizing on production of western 

white pine seed. U. S. Dep. Agr., Forest Serv., Intermountain 

Forest and Range Exp. Sta., Ogden, Utah 84401. 14 pp., illus. 

(USDA ForestServ. Res. Pap. INT-58) 

In a 40-year-old western white pine plantation developed as a seed production area, heavy thinning and application of fertilizer in the faU 

significantly increased strobilus production the following spring. Applying fertilizer increased seed weight and cone length significantly, but 

thinning did not. Insects severely damaged the cone crop in the thinned 

stand. This study indicates that abundant seed crops, relatively free 

from insect damage, may be produced without expensive thinning and 

area preparation operations. 

Barnes, Burton V. 

1969. Effects of thinning and fertilizing on 

white pine seed. U. S. Dep. Agr., Fores

Forest and Range Exp. Sta., Ogden, Utah 

(USDA Forest Serv. Res. Pap. INT - 58) 

In a 40-year-old western white pine plantation de

duction area, heav\' thinning and application of 

Significantly increased strohilus production the 

plying fertilizer increased seed weight and cone l

thinning did not. Insects severely damaged the c

stand. This study indicates that abundant seed 

from insect damage, may be produced without 

area preparation operations. 

Barnes, Burton V. 

1969. Effects of thinning and fertilizing on 

white pine seed. U.S. Dep. Agr., Fores

Forest and Range Exp. Sta., Ogden, Utah 

(USDA Forest Servo Res. Pap. INT-58) 

In a 40-year-old western white pine plantation d

duction area, heavy thinning and application o

Significantly increased strobilus production the 

plying fertilizer increased seed weight and cone 

thinning did not. Insects severely damaged the 

stand. This study indicates that abundant seed 

from insect damage, may be produced without 

area preparation operations. 

Headquarters for the Intermountain Forest and 

Range Experiment Station are in Ogden, Utah. 

Field Research Work Units are maintained in: 

Boise, Idaho 

Bozeman, Montana (in cooperation with 

Montana State University) 

Logan, Utah (in cooperation with Utah 

State University) 

Missoula, Montana (in cooperation with 

University of Montana) 

Moscow, Idaho (in cooperation with the 

University of Idaho) 

Provo, Utah (i nco 0 per a t ion with 

Brigham Young University) 

L 
1. 

FOREST SERVICE CREED 

The Forest Sen~'ice of the U. S. Department of Agriculture is 

dedicated to the principle of ?Illllti]Jle lise management of the 

Nation's forest resources for sllstained yields of wood, water, 

forage, 'u.:ildlife, and recreation. ThrOllgh forestry research, 

cooperation with the States and pril:ate forest owners, and 

management of the National Forests Clnd Nutional Grasslands, 

it strives - as directed by Congress - to proc;ide increasingly 

greater serc;ice to a growing nation.