Selection of Poplar Hybrid Clones (Populus ssp.) from Backcrossed Progenies of the Aigeiros Section for Industrial Purpose

As one of the fast-growing tree species, hybrid poplar (Populus ssp.) has been widely planted in Shandong Province, China. While poplar tree breeding program in the past few decades focused on the development of poplar clones with fast growth rate and disease resistance, little attention was paid to the tree traits of these clones in relation to industrial uses i.e. pulpwood as well as veneer. In this paper, growth performance of hybrid poplar clones from backcrossedprogenies obtained from cross fertilization within the Poplar Aigeiros Section was evaluated and stem traits as well as wood properties in relation to industrial use of some selected clones were assessed. Of the 40 hybrid poplar clones tested in the study, A50 and B69 were prominent in growth rate at three trial sites in Shandong Province, China.Wood properties in relation to industrial uses of the two clones were also better than or comparable to the control clone. It was concluded that A50 is more suitable for pulpwood production while B69 is suitable for a wide range of high value added application such as veneer and plywood. Further research is needed to evaluate the changes of some tree traits in relation to industrial raw materials through time.