CRECIMIENTO DE NUEVE ESPECIES DE PALMAS ORNAMENTALES CULTIVADAS BAJO UN GRADIENTE DE SOMBRA

F 2 progeny tests of Eucalyptus deglupta and E. grandis with the aim of conversion into seedling seed orchards. The performance of 25 F 2 families of Eucalyptus deglupta and 28 of E. grandis was evaluated in Turrialba, Costa Rica, with the aim of converting the trials into seedling seed orchards. E. deglupta families were selected from an F 1 progeny test established in Upala, Costa Rica, while those of E. grandis were selected from an F 1 progeny test established in Tucurrique and from a plantation at CATIE, in Turrialba. Trials were evaluated annually to collect information on stem straightness, height and dbh, and presence of damage by fungi. Results are reported for the last evaluation, when the trials were 3.8 (E. deglupta) and 4.4 years-old (E. grandis). Highly significant differences were found among families for all variables evaluated. In E. deglupta, at 3.8 years of age, heritabilities of 0.09, 0.29 and 0.28 were found for stem straightness, height and dbh, and additive genetic coefficient variances (AGCV) of 10.59, 9.72, and 14.89 for the three variables, respectively. With a selection intensity of 1.16, expected genetic gains for these three variables are 3.7, 6.0, and 9.1%. In E. grandis, heritabilities for stem straightness, height and dbh were 0.25, 0.13, and 0.18, and AGCV were 19.93, 4.81, and 12.12, respectively. With a selection intensity of 0.97, expected genetic gains are 9.7, 1.7, and 5.0% for these three variables, respectively. Practical recommendations are given for the conversion of the trials into seed orchards.