Growth Rate and Wood Properties of Norway Spruce Cutting Clones on Different Sites

The effect of growth rate on weight density and strength properties of three Norway spruce cutting clones growing on three different sites in different geographic locations was studied. The purpose was to follow variation in wood physical and mechanical properties and in quality between fast-growing clones grown in environments differing in nutritional and soil properties and climate within the boreal zone. The cloned trees had been selected on grounds of good growth, health and quality. The cuttings were collected from three-year-old seedlings and rooted. The rooted cuttings were planted in the 1970’s and they were on average 26 years old at a time of felling. The variation of weight density was studied within the annual ring and within the stem between the juvenile and mature wood from the pith to the bark with an X-ray densitometric method. The average annual ring width (and latewood proportion, %) varied between the clones from 2.92 ± 1.36 mm (15.34%) to 3.30 ± 1.25 mm (11.80%) and between the sites from 2.76 ± 1.07 mm (14.71%) to 3.70 ± 1.22 mm (13.29%). The mean weight density was 0.461 ± 0.077 g cm–3 and latewood density 0.750 ± 0.125 g cm–3 in this material. The mean modulus of elasticity was 9.88 ± 1.43 GPa, modulus of rupture 67.51 ± 11.50 MPa and weight density of the test samples (ρ12) 414 ± 44 kg m–3 in mature wood. The parameters studied showed clearly that the environment had a large effect while the three clones differed from each other similarly in the different sites, e.g. the fastest growing clone was fastest on all sites.