Research Paper

Provenance analysis of teak (Tectona grandis L.f.) in Myanmar: growth, heritability and trait-trait correlations at different ages

Ei Sandi Sett, Ye-Ji Kim, Kyu-Suk Kang

Published on: 25 March 2025

Page: 243 - 251

DOI: 10.6165/tai.2025.70.243

Abstract

Teak (Tectona grandis L. f.) is a species with considerable economic and ecological significance in Myanmar. Provenance analysis of teak was conducted to examine its growth performance, genetic gain, heritability, and trait correlations and elucidate the species’ critical facets. Diameter at breast height (DBH) and total tree height (H) were measured and assessed for trees from eight teak provenances aged 11, 14, 15, and 16 years. Analyses were conducted exclusively on trees that remained at age 16, enabling fair comparisons across different age groups. Significant differences in the growth traits of teaks were observed across provenances and ages. Nattalin, the local provenance to the study region, exhibited the highest growth, with tree heights ranging from 16.03 m to 20.42 m and DBH from 20.06 cm to 24.57 cm over the four years. Conversely, Thabeikkyin, a non-local provenance, consistently demonstrated the lowest growth and limited adaptability, with tree heights ranging from 13.68 m to 17.88 m and DBH from 15.19 cm to 20.10 cm. The investigation revealed that most local teak provenances show better growth performance than non-local provenances and growth in teak provenances is genetically controlled. Higher heritability was observed with increasing height and decreasing DBH in the teak provenances of the study site. These findings represent an essential step towards developing significantly improved planting materials, providing valuable scientific insights that could shape future tree improvement programs in Myanmar, and contributing to the sustainable development and preservation of teak species in the study region.

Keyword: Correlations, genetic gain, growth variation, mortality, provenance heritability

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