Tree Improvement Program Project Report 2006 / 2007

. True F r Forest Genet cs
Charl e Cartwr ght
Because of their limited value as solid wood products,
true firs are mainly planted to meet green-up and
diversity concerns. Nevertheless, gains due to seed source
(provenance) of between 5 and 10 percent are available
for several species. To date, plans for taking advantage of
these potentially more vigorous sources of seed are still in
development.
Pac fic s lver fir – SPU 09
Two new Pacific silver fir provenance test sites were
established in 2006 to cover the use of the species in the
regeneration of blocks in the mountain hemlock (Hm)
BECs. As well, 12 test sites planted between 2002 and
2003 were maintained. Eight of these were subsequently
measured. We hope to report results from these trials in
the next fiscal year. We sent seed from our provenance
collection to Dr. Ulrick Nielsen of the Danish Centre
for Forests, Landscape, and Planning for use in their
provenance tests.
Sub-alp ne fir
Two new sub-alpine fir provenance test sites were
established in 2006, one to look at more extreme conditions
than current installations, and the other to provide material
in an appropriate environment that is also accessible for
a larger part of the year. We reported results derived from
data taken the previous year to the annual meeting of the
Western Forest Geneticist Association in Anchorage in June
2006. Seed was collected in the American West in the fall
of 2006 to take advantage of good cone crops. The current
seed inventory covers BC and adjacent Alberta, Yukon, and
Washington State, but no provenances between 33 and 48
degrees North are held, although the species is common at
appropriate elevations in these latitudes.
T R E E I M P R O V E M E N T P R O G R A M
P R O J E C T R E P O R T 2 0 0 6 / 2 0 0 7
. Western Redcedar Breed ng
Program
John Russell, Cra g Ferguson
There are 930 parents established in first-generation
polycross tests for the maritime low SPU. Seven annual
series of tests were planted on 46 sites over six SPUs.
Breeding values for volume at rotation are currently
available for 555 parents from series 1 based on 10-year
heights, series 2-4 on seven-year heights and series 5 on
five-year heights. Approximately 75 parents from the first
five series have been selected for advanced generation based
on height and established into breeding orchards. Breeding
for second-generation tests is ongoing.
Full-sib and self families from deer-browse-resistant
selections (high-needle monoterpene concentration) are
currently being established into field trials and further
within-family selections for browse resistance and needle
monoterpene concentrations are ongoing.
.6 Yellow-cedar Breed ng
Program
John Russell, Cra g Ferguson
There are currently clonal values from approximately
5,000 clones represented in three series of annual testing
based on nine-year data from the first and second series
of cloned progeny tests, and six-year data from the third
series. These new clonal selections have been repropagated
for operational release. Maintenance continued this
year in both field trials and breeding orchards, as well as
monitoring of pollen performance and production for
collection for advanced-generation breeding.
Various technical support projects were maintained
and measured. These include clonal maturation, clonal
competition, pollen viability, and deer-resistance studies.
Fifteen-year data have been collected from both the first
and second series of provenance trials.
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