A Preliminary Study on the Relation of Sucrose Content to Superior Growth Potential in Seedlings of Loblolly and Slash Pine

Through analysing the sucrose, total soluble sugar and starch contents in leaves of two types of seedlings with different growing rates (fast growing and slow growing) of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) and slash pine (Pinus ellinttii Engelm),it was found that there was an obvious difference in sucrose contents between the two patterns of seedlings of loblolly and slash pine.The sucrose contents in leaves of the fast growing seedlings of loblolly and slash pine increased by 8.6%~26.2% and 114.1%, respectively, as compared with those of the slow growing seedlings.The sucrose contents in leaves of superior provenance seedlings of loblolly and of superior family seedlings of slash pine were 55.1% ~ 93.3% and 87.5%~168.4% higher than that of control provenance and family respectively.Results showed that there was a relationship between the sucrose contents in seedlings of loblolly and slash pine, and their growth potential.