A combined provenance/progeny trial with sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.) from Mexico and Central America was established in Quedas do Iguaçu, in the Southwest of the State of Paraná, in order to assess wood productivity and genetic variability. The trial was established on a sloping site and arranged in a compact family block design, with the progenies planted into 5-tree linear plots. At eleven years of age, the mean yield of the fastest growing provenances (all from Central America, from latitudes no higher than 15º N) was higher than 40 m³/ha.year. Significant variations were detected among progenies within Gomez Farias, Las Lajas, Los Alpes, and Monte Bello provenances. However, among these, only Los Alpes and Las Lajas provenances offer opportunities for genetic improvement of wood production through selection among their progenies since the mean productivity in the others were low. Although no significant variation was detected among progenies within Tactic and Yucul provenances, their inclusion in breeding populations is important, given their high mean productivity and the opportunity to increase population sizes for further selections based on other traits such as stem form and wood quality.
Liquidambar styraciflua; progeny; selection
