Page 7 - InnoRenew CoE International Conference 2024

DENDRO-SPEC project: Spectroscopic methods for rapid
phenotyping of trees refl ecting their ecological resilience

Jakub Sandak , Edit Földvári-Nagy , Rene Herrera Díaz , Anna Sandak , Elena Cvetanoska ,
1
2
1,2
1*
1
Witold Wachowiak , Agnieszka Jankowska , Włodzimierz Buraczyk , Paweł Kozakiewicz 4
4
4
3
1 InnoRenew CoE, Izola, Slovenia, jakub.sandak@innorenew.eu, edit.foldvari-nagy@innorenew.eu, rene.herdiaz@innorenew.eu,
anna.sandak@innorenew.eu
2 University of Primorska, Koper, Slovenia, edit.foldvari-nagy@iam.upr.si, 89212001@student.upr.si
3 Polish Academy of Science, Institute of Dendrology, Kornik, Poland witoldw@man.poznan.pl
4 Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Institute of Wood Science and Furniture Making, Warsaw, Poland agnieszka_jankowska@sggw.edu.pl,
wlodzimierz_buraczyk@sggw.edu.pl, pawel_kozakiewicz@sggw.edu.pl

The DENDRO-SPEC project is a comprehensive study aimed at understanding the genetic factors that infl uence
the traits and adaptability of Scots pine trees, particularly in response to climate change. The project’s main
objectives are to investigate the effects of genetic variations on tree properties, analyse wood samples using
near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR), and understand the genetic, morphological, and anatomical features that
contribute to a tree’s resilience to drought and high temperatures.

The project employs microsatellite DNA markers (SSR) and genetic association analysis, including a large
database of single nucleotide site polymorphisms (SNP), to understand the genetic factors. This approach helps
to uncover neutral genetic variations within and between different Scots pine populations, providing insight into
the genetic basis for ecotype differences and establishing links between observable traits and genetic variations
(Kozakiewicz et al., 2020) .

The project aims to establish a measurement protocol for wood samples using NIR spectroscopy (Sandak et al.,
2011). For this purpose, a unique set of wood samples from 50-year-old trees, representing various national
Scots pine populations and all grown under the same conditions will be measured. The wood samples will be
characterised using NIR spectroscopy that will indirectly assess technical characteristics and phenotypes
and will balance data quality with ease of data acquisition. The ambition of the DENDRO-SPEC project is to
develop a new methodology for quickly, accurately, and non-destructively predicting wood quality. By combining
genetic studies with advanced spectroscopic techniques, the project aims to enhance our understanding of how

trees adapt to climate change. The results could have significant implications for sustainable forest resource
management and effective tree breeding programs in response to changing environmental conditions.

Keywords: Pinus sylvestris, morphological features, wood properties, spectroscopic methods, hyperspectral imaging

Acknowledgment: The authors gratefully acknowledge receiving funding from ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency,
under the Project N4-0274 DENDROSPEC

REFERENCES

Kozakiewicz, P., Jankowska, A., Mamiński, M., Marciszewska, K., Ciurzycki, W., Tulik, M., 2020. The Wood of Scots Pine
(Pinus sylvestris L.) from Post-Agricultural Lands Has Suitable Properties for the Timber Industry. Forests 11, 1033.

Sandak, A., Sandak, J., Negri, M., 2011. Relationship between near-infrared (NIR) spectra and the geographical provenance
of timber. Wood Sci Technol 45, 35–48.

11–12 SEPTEMBER 2024 I IZOLA, SLOVENIA 7