Genetic and selection assessment of the scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in forest seed orchards

Cultivation of highly productive stands of the Scots pine is a priority task of the forestry industry. This task should be solved using the methods based on the molecular genetic analysis. Following these methods carefully will allow improving the work quality and efficiency in the forest seed farming, to control successfully the stand phytosanitary condition, as well as to use DNA markers in the in vitro culture reproduction of tree species. Our studies have shown a high level of the Scots pine genetic diversity in forest seed orchards, which is confirmed by insignificant spread of values between similar studied characteristics when analyzing the Scots pine with high morphological characteristics, selected from natural populations. Thus, genetic monitoring of the objects of permanent forest seed base of this tree species should be introduced into practice of the forest selection seed farming.