AOBPreview published online on June 27, 2008
Annals of Botany, doi:10.1093/aob/mcn107
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Genetic Variation of Stomatal Traits and Carbon Isotope Discrimination in Two Hybrid Poplar Families (Populus deltoides ‘S9-2’ x P. nigra ‘Ghoy’ and P. deltoides ‘S9-2’ x P. trichocarpa ‘V24’)
University of Antwerp, Department of Biology, Campus Drie Eiken, Research Group of Plant and Vegetation Ecology, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
* For correspondence. E-mail sophie.dillen{at}ua.ac.be
Received: 3 March 2008 Returned for revision: 16 May 2008 Accepted: 2 June 2008
Background and Aims: Stomata play an important role in both the CO2 assimilation and water relations of trees. Therefore, stomatal traits have been suggested as criteria for selection of clones or genotypes which are more productive and have larger water-use efficiency (WUE) than others. However, the relationships between plant growth, WUE and stomatal traits are still unclear depending on plant material (genus, species, families, genotypes) and, more precisely, on the strength of the relationships between the plants. In this study, the correlations between these three traits categories, i.e. plant growth, WUE and stomatal traits, were compared in two related poplar families.
Methods: Stomatal traits (stomatal density, length and ratio adaxial : abaxial stomatal densities) of a selection of F1 genotypes and the parents of two hybrid poplar families Populus deltoides ‘S9-2’ x P. nigra ‘Ghoy’ (D x N family, 50 F1) and P. deltoides ‘S9-2’ x P. trichocarpa ‘V24’ (D x T family, 50 F1) were measured, together with stem height and circumference. Carbon isotope discrimination (
) was determined and used as an indicator of leaf-level intrinsic WUE.
Key Results: Leaves of hybrids and parents were amphistomatous, except for the P. trichocarpa parent. Both families displayed high values of heritability for stomatal traits and . In the progeny, the relationship between stem circumference and was weak for the D x N family, while abaxial and total stomatal density were positively associated with stem dimensions for the D x T family only.
Conclusions: Genetic variation in stomatal traits and was large within as well as between the different poplar species and their hybrids, but there were no direct relationships between stomatal traits and plant growth or . As already noticed in various poplar hybrids, the absence of, or the weak, relationship between and plant growth allows the possibility of selecting poplar genotypes combining high productivity and high WUE. In this study, stomatal traits are of limited value as criteria for selection of genotypes with good growth and large WUE.
Key words: Adaxial and abaxial stomatal density, stomatal length, heritability, water-use efficiency (WUE), F1 hybrids, breeding, Populus deltoides, Populus nigra, Populus trichocarpa
Present address: UMR 1137 INRA-UHP Écologie et écophysiologie forestières, 54280 Champenoux, France.
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