Evaluation and selection analyses of 60 Larix kaempferi clones in four provenances based on growth traits and wood properties

To evaluate and select elite Larix kaempferi materials, three growth traits and six wood properties of 60 L. kaempferi clones from four provenances were analyzed. The ANOVA results indicated significant differences (p < 0.01) in all the investigated characteristics (height, diameter at breast height, volume, hemicellulose content, cellulose content and lignin content) among clones within provenances. The phenotypic and genotypic coefficients of variation among clones ranged from 6.65% to 25.66% and from 3.42% to 22.27%, respectively. The clone repeatability of all traits ranged from 0.51 to 0.97. The phenotypic and genetic correlation coefficients between different traits ranged from −0.66 to 0.98 and − 0.90 to 0.98, respectively. Principal component analysis showed that the first two components explained 54.29% of the total variance, and growth traits and some wood properties showed higher absolute values. Under a selection rate of 10%, using the method of comprehensively evaluating multiple traits to select clones, six elite clones were selected based on their growth traits, wood properties, and both growth traits and wood properties together. For these groups of clones, the genetic gains ranged from 5.27 to 21.53%, 8.02 to 29.95%, and 4.27 to 18.07%, respectively. These selected clones could provide a base material for the selection of improved varieties.