Eucommia ulmoides Oliver (EUO), an economic tree grown specifically in China, is widely used in various fields. To satisfy the requirements of industrial development, superior varieties need to be selected for different uses. However, there is no unified standard for breeders to reference. In this study, leaf-related traits were classified by a probability grading method. The results indicated there were significant differences between different planting models for the studied traits, and the traits in the Arbor forest model showed more abundant variation. Compared with genotype, the planting model accounted for relatively bigger variance, indicating that the standard should be divided according to planting models. Furthermore, the optimum planting model for different traits would be obtained by analyzing the variation range. Association analyses were conducted among traits to select the crucial evaluation indexes. The indexes were divided into three grades in different planting models. The evaluation system on leaf-related traits of EUO germplasm was established preliminarily, which considered planting models and stability across years for the first time. It can be treated as a reference to identify and evaluate EUO germplasm resources. Additionally, the study served as an example for the classification of quantitative traits in other economically important perennial plants.
Keywords: Eucommia ulmoides Oliver; leaves; planting models; probability grading; quantitative traits; trait variations.