Heritability of juvenile characters of white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench.) Voss.) in central Newfoundland, Canada.

The paper presents results of a growth chamber progeny test of selected phenotypically superior trees from two white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench.) Voss.) populations in central Newfoundland, Canada. On the basis of heritability of 11 juvenile characters the superior trees have been demonstrated to be suitable as a base population for continued advanced generation breeding. Family selection would produce good genetic gains in the first generation but these can be enhanced considerably by selection of best individuals within the best families for clonal propagation in the second generation or propagation by seed in the second and subsequent generations.