Water-Retaining Capacity of Pine Clones’ Needles in Forest Steppe Conditions

The results of the analysis of intra- and interclonal variability of water-retaining capacity of needles of common pine growing in the conditions of the Middle Ob Bor (forest-steppe of the south of Western Siberia) are presented. The vegetative progeny of trees are compared in terms of water-retaining capacity (WRC) of needles in connection with their sexual type, trunk volume, crown condition, weather conditions of the year and months of vegetation. Reliable differences between the samples of clones’ ramets were found for most of the studied traits. According to the results of correlation analysis, paired and multiple correlations of crown condition, needle WRC and shoots’ needle count with the clone’s sexual type were established. The opposite distribution of male and female clones by the studied characteristics was noted. The sample breaks up into more productive female and monoecious clones and the most drought-tolerant male clones. The highest heritability coefficients in the broad sense were obtained for the sexual type, crown condition, shoots’ needle count, and moisture evaporation rate.