Fertility variation and genetic diversity in a clonal seed orchard of Cryptomeria japonica

Clonal differences in fertility (expressed as the number of female and male strobili) were determined for three consecutive years (2002-2004) in a clonal seed orchard of sugi (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) in Korea. Fertility varied among clones and among years producing three-year averages of 196 and 652 for female and male strobili per ramet, respectively. Correlation between female and male strobilus production was positive over the three years and statistically significant in 2003, a good flowering year. Based on the observed fertility variation, the status numbers (N-s measure of genetic diversity) were calculated and varied from 25.6 to 31.7 among the three studied years. On average (pooled), relative status number was 86% of the census number (N). Variation in female fertility was higher than that in male fertility, and this variation was reflected on female and male parents' status numbers. Pooled N-s estimated from the three years was higher than that for any single year, implying that genetic diversity would increase when seeds collected from different years are pooled.