Variation between Norway spruce (Picea abies KARST.) clones and selection potential

Within the Norway spruce breeding programs of the Lower Saxony Forest Research Institute - Dept. Forest Tree Breeding cutting propagation has an important function. Utilisation of the considerable within population variation and a rapid transfer of results to application becomes possible. A clonal test with 154 clones planted on 6 sites in Lower Saxony, Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Wurttemberg is used as an example to discuss variation of clonal means, selection gain, stability and age-age correlations. The considerable variation of clonal means results in a genetic gain for volume production of 50 % if the top 20 % clones are selected. After a generic thinning the clonal tests are used as clonal seed stands and as a base for future breeding. Due to the prevailing additive genetic variance in Norway spruce this allows utilisation of the selection progress also by generative propagation.