Tree Improvement Program Project Report 2006 / 2007

.1. Bowser Seed Orchard
Dav d Re d and Carolyn Lohr
Upgrad ng
The initial rogueing of advance generation orchards 149
and 162 has been completed. Thirty-five ramets of 3 clones
with an average BV of 23 were available for transplanting
from orchard 168 into orchard 162. These trees are 13
years old and already at the production stage so should
contribute to orchard seedlots immediately. Thirty-three of
the 35 trees were vigorous enough to be transplanted.
Enhanc ng seed y eld and genet c worth
Controlled pollination: Pollination bags were placed on 286
branches of 21 high BV ramets in orchards 149, 162 and
168. High GW pollen was applied at least twice to each
tree. Seedlot 60588 yielded a collection of 1.25 hectolitres
(approximately 3000 cones). Seed yield per hectolitre was
not finalized at the time of writing. Estimated GW of this
seedlot is 20.
Induct on
Suitable candidates (negligible current years’ crop; no
crop last year; not induced last year; sufficient vigour and
adequate number of cone-bearing sites) were identified.
An induction treatment of a double overlapping girdle was
applied. Irrigation was withheld until mid-July. 236 ramets
from orchard 162 were induced. Bud surveys for crop
year 2007 indicate an excellent crop in the orchards, with
significantly increased production in the induced areas of
orchard 162.
Orchard management
All orchard trees were maintained through appropriate
cultural practices. Foliar nutrient samples were taken;
fertilizer was applied for both growing stock and crop
maintenance; irrigation was applied when required and
trees transplanted into orchard 149 were staked, mulched,
had irrigation lines and emitters installed, and were crownpruned
to lessen transplant shock.
Insect mon tor ng and control
Surveys were conducted for Contarinia, Dioryctria and
Leptoglossus. Due to the extremely light crop no control
measures were undertaken for Contarina or Leptoglossus.
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
The Dioryctria trapping program was continued
throughout the year, and population levels did not require
control measures.
.1. Kalamalka Seed
Orchards
Chr s Walsh
In 2006/2007, Kalamalka Seed Orchards received OTIP
approval for 10 projects under the operational production
sub-program. We received approval for a further two
projects under the incremental program. The funding
allowed for a significant enhancement of the effectiveness
of our orchards in delivering improved seed. Activities
included:
• Improving orchard composition through grafting
higher-breeding-value ramets, maintaining recently
grafted high-value ramets destined for orchards, planting
rootstock for future grafting, transplanting the older
higher-value ramets to the orchards, and roguing lowervalue
ramets from the orchards;
• Improving orchard seed quantity and quality through
pollen management, including collecting highbreeding-value
pollen from clone banks and applying
Supplemental Mass Pollination; and
• Improving orchard productivity through pest
management and other management activities.
Pest management activities included:
• using Safer’s Soap sprays to control galling adelgids,
• removing weevil-infested spruce leaders to reduce weevil
populations,
• removing pine pitch moths damaging orchard tree
stems,
• baiting for control of rodents feeding on tree roots,
• sanitation picking of cones in orchards with noncollectible
crops to reduce pest populations,
• applying dormant oil to control larch adelgids,
• spraying to control Dioryctria in Lw cones,
• spraying to control Leptoglossus, and
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