Effect of stem height in variation of bark, heartwood, sapwood and physical properties of wood in Dipteryx panamensis Pittier in a provenance/progeny test

Abstract

Dipteryx panamensis is used in reforestation in Costa Rica and a genetic improvement program has been recently started in the country. The objective of the present study was to study the effect of tree trunk height on the variation of bark, sapwood, heartwood, green density (GD), specific gravity (SG) and green moisture content in green condition (MC-G), in a collection of 8-year-old provenances/ progenies planted in the town of Florencia in San Carlos in the northern region of Costa Rica The wood of each of 17 families were studied based on 3 of their progenies, evaluating the properties relative to 0, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of the commercial height. According to the results, tree diameter and bark thickness showed no statistical differences in their values across trunk. Significant differences were found in diameter and percentage of heartwood and sapwood between provenances and families. The thickness and percentage of sapwood, thickness and percentage of bark, diameter, pith percentage and percentage of pith eccentricity, showed no significant differences between families. SG and the MC-G presented significant variation between provenances, while GD registered differences at above 25 % commercial height. The variation of physical properties, especially SG, between families within each provenance, shows selection potential for genetic improvement, focusing particularly on the bottom section of the tree.