Genetic variation of Pinus pinaster Ait. seedlings in susceptibility to the pine weevil Hylobius abietis L.

Damage by the pine weevil Hylobius abietis L. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) on Pinus pinaster Ait. was evaluated in a fertilization x progeny test in Galicia (NW Spain) to determine the genetic variation among families and the possibility to include the resistance to this insect as a selection criteria in the Galician maritime pine breeding program. Several damage and symptoms traits were evaluated. All these traits showed highly significant family effects and were strongly correlated among each other. Individual and family heritability estimates of the wound evaluations in the seedling stems were around 0.2 and 0.8, respectively. Strong genetic correlations among wounds and the average seedling color indicated that this last simple and subjective trait can be used for screening for pine weevil susceptibility. A positive genetic correlation was also observed between diameter growth and pine weevil damage. Faster growing families were more attacked hindering the possibility to include the susceptibility to the insect in the breeding program.