Genetic control and repeatability of near infrared reflectance from Eucalyptus nitens woodmeal

Near infrared reflectance spectra (1100-2500 nm, in 700 discrete 2 nm bands) were captured (as the second derivative of the reflectance spectra) from woodmeal sampled from the outer growth rings of 588 7-year-old plantation grown Eucalyptus nitens trees. Heritability of reflectance across the spectra ranged from 0 to 0.35 (for a 10 band moving average). Repeatability of observed reflectance was consistently greater than 0.7 for wavelengths shorter than 2250 nm, but showed decline at longer wavelengths to a low 0.3 at 2500 nm. Bands showing high heritability showed low family by site interaction.