Genetic parameters and provenenance variation of Pinus caribaea var. hondurensis in 48 international trials

A total of 23 provenances or sources of Pinus caribaea var. hondurensis (Sénécl) Barr. et Golf. were tested in 48 provenance-progeny trials in Colombia, Brazil, and Venezuela. In Brazil and Venezuela, 8-year heights were approximately 12 m, while in Colombia, mean 8-year height was less than 8 m. The growth rates of the unimproved material correspond approximately to volumes of 14-15 m3·ha-1·year-1 of wood on sites in Brazil and Venezuela, and 4-5 m3·ha-1·year-1 in Colombia. Provenances had similar growth rankings in the different countries, with a type-B provenance correlation of 0.63. The best native provenances were Lim?n and Guanaja, Honduras. Improved firstgeneration sources from Queensland, Australia and Zululand, South Africa, were 5-12% better than the mean of the unimproved provenances, depending on country where planted. Mean single-site heritability for volume growth is approximately 0.18. Potential genetic gain for volume at 8 years from selection within provenance is around 30%. Foxtailing is also under moderate genetic control with heritability around 0.15. Genotype × environment interaction for volume growth is generally higher for tests located in different countries than in the same countries. Selection for age-8 volume using age-5 data would be 93% as effective as selection at age 8.