Table 1. Norway spruce seed lots (stand seed) used in the study, their origin and germination percentages under laboratory conditions.
Seedlot Year of
maturation 		Municipality Co-ordinates 1000 seed weight (g) Germination, % (±SE)
Day 7 Day 14
A T03-06-0414 2006 Suonenjoki 62°27´N - 62°51´N, 26°50´E - 27°32´E 6.0 22 (± 2.4) 97 (± 0.6)
B T03-06-0421 2006 Maaninka and Siilinjärvi 62°57´N - 63°20´N, 26°57´E - 27°57´E 5.8 20 (± 2.1) 99 (± 0.5)
Table 2. Percentage of different quality seeds according to radiography (n = 384) and the water content of the un-soaked control and bottom fraction seeds after a 15h soaking and surface drying. The class “immature” includes anatomically immature, but viable seeds. Seeds with mechanical or undetermined damage were classified as “other”.
Seed lot Treatment Full Larva Immature Empty Other Water content (± SD)
A Control 96.1 0.5 3.1 0 0.3 5.0 (± 0.1)
A Bottom fraction 100 0 0 0 0 17.4 (± 0.2)
A Surface fraction 74.7 13.3 8.3 0.8 2.9 not measured
B Control 97.9 0.5 1.6 0 0 5.26 (± 0.1)
B Bottom fraction 100 0 0 0 0 17.8 (± 0.4)
B Surface fraction 86.7 1.8 10.7 0.5 0.3 not measured
1

Fig. 1. Air temperature at the seedling level during the first 49 days after sowing in a nursery greenhouse measured at 1h interval.

2

Fig. 2. Number of new emerged seedlings on each day of observation. Containerized Norway spruce seedlings originating from soaked (bottom and surface fraction) and control seeds sown on June 14.

Table 3. Percentage of emerged Norway spruce seedlings 49 days after sowing in peat-filled containers and the mean time of emergence. The emergence percentage is calculated in relation to both all seeds sown (n = 64) and on the based on viable seed (full and anatomically immature) according to radiography (n = viable).
  Emergence percentage (± SE) Mean time of emergence, days (± SE)
n = 64 n = viable
Seed lot A
Control 92.4 (± 1.7) 94.2 (± 1.4) 16.9 (± 0.4)
Bottom fraction 97.7 (± 0.8) 97.4 (± 0.8) 14.3 (± 0.1)
Surface fraction 79.1 (± 3.3) 94.0 (± 1.5) 15.4 (± 0.2)
Seed lot B
Control 95.2 (± 1.3) 94.7 (± 1.3) 18.0 (± 0.5)
Bottom fraction 97.2 (± 0.9) 97.6 (± 0.7) 14.4 (± 0.1)
Surface fraction 91.4 (± 1.9) 94.5 (± 1.3) 15.1 (± 0.2)
3

Fig. 3. Model predictions for height, stem diameter, and shoot and root dry mass (± SE) of containerized 1.5-year-old Norway spruce seedlings at the end of the first growing season. The seedlings were grown in the first year from June onwards.

Table 4. Tests for fixed effects for measurements of 1.5-year-old containerized Norway spruce seedlings after the first growing season according to linear mixed models. The seedlings were grown in the first year from June onwards. A block was set as a random term (test not shown). Denominator degrees of freedom for approximate F-tests are calculated using algebraic derivatives.
Response variate Fixed model term Wald statistic df nominator F statistic df denominator p
Height, 1st year Treatment 24.56 2 12.32 1343.3 <0.001
Seed lot 9.07 1 9.07 1356.3 0.003
Treatment × seed lot 2.52 2 1.26 1352.4 0.284
Diameter, 1st year Treatment 38.23 2 19.12 1229.9 <0.001
Seed lot 11.62 1 11.62 1208.6 <0.001
Treatment × seed lot 0.14 2 0.07 1203.5 0.930
Shoot, 1st year Treatment 30.37 2 15.18 678.6 <0.001
Seed lot 0.23 1 0.23 658.0 0.632
Treatment × seed lot 5.10 2 2.55 650.4 0.079
Root, 1st year Treatment 31.88 2 15.94 678.7 <0.001
Seed lot 0.17 1 0.17 658.5 0.683
Treatment × seed lot 5.70 2 2.85 651.1 0.058
4

Fig. 4. Model predictions for height, stem diameter, shoot and root dry mass and relative height and stem diameter growth (± SE) of containerized 1.5-year-old Norway spruce seedlings at the end of the second, final growing season.

Table 5. Tests for fixed effects for measurements of 1.5-year-old containerized Norway spruce seedlings after the second, final growing season according to linear mixed models. A block was set as a random term (test not shown). Denominator degrees of freedom for approximate F-tests are calculated, using algebraic derivatives.
Response variate Fixed model term Wald statistic n.d.f. F statistic d.d.f. F pr
Height, 2nd year Treatment 96985.46 2 48492.73 1383.0 <0.001
Seed lot 27131.88 1 27131.88 1383.0 <0.001
Treatment × seed lot 9808.60 2 4904.30 1383.0 <0.001
Diameter, 2nd year Treatment 21.62 2 10.81 1342.6 <0.001
Seed lot 1.06 1 1.06 1341.6 0.304
Treatment × seed lot 0.87 2 0.44 1340.7 0.647
Shoot dry mass, 2nd year Treatment 11.31 2 5.65 654.8 0.004
Seed lot 6.24 1 6.24 656.7 0.013
Treatment × seed lot 0.37 2 0.18 655.6 0.833
Root dry mass, 2nd year Treatment 13.86 2 6.93 654.7 0.001
Seed lot 3.57 1 3.57 656.6 0.059
Treatment × seed lot 0.47 2 0.24 655.2 0.789
Relative height growth Treatment 2.41 2 1.20 1224.4 0.300
Seed lot 0.87 1 0.87 1203.2 0.352
Treatment × seed lot 0.02 2 0.01 1195.9 0.990
Relative diameter growth Treatment 5.46 2 2.73 1205.6 0.066
Seed lot 1.04 1 1.04 1182.7 0.308
Treatment × seed lot 0.43 2 0.22 1177.0 0.806