Tree Improvement Program Project Report 2006 / 2007

.1. Eagle Rock Seed Orchards
(Tolko Industr es)
Greg P eper
The Tree Improvement Program supplied funding for work
in our orchards. The goal this year was to fund activities to
boost the quantity and quality of seed produced. We also
collected pollen for future use.
SPU 16 Thompson Okanagan h gh-elevat on Pl
• We were able to collect about 12 hectolitres of cones
from this orchard this year.
• Because seed set continues to be a challenge, we used
a helicopter and an airblast sprayer to distribute pollen
and enhance pollen uptake for next year’s crop.
• We collected 10 litres of pollen from orchard 310. Using
Spritzers, we applied two litres of previously stored
pollen and four litres from this year’s collection.
• We expect approximately five hectolitres of cones from
the new Pli orchard next year.
• Because height is a problem for picking, we did some
top pruning on the old large ramets in orchard 310.
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
We also did basal pruning to make it easier to operate
equipment in the orchard and to increase light and air
movement in the orchard.
• Leptoglossus was again a concern, and we used four sprays
of Sevin to control them in 2006.
• We purchased battery operated Electrocoup shears for
pruning.
SPU 2 to 30 Thompson Okanagan low and
h gh -elevat on Sx
• We selectively collected a good crop out of orchard 303
this year. We collected 48 hectolitres of cones containing
39,000 grams of seed with a maximum elevation of
1,650 meters. We rogued 83 ramets of poor genetic
worth out of the orchard.
• Spraying was required for crop protection from
Leptoglossus.
• We collected and stored 16 litres of pollen from orchard
303 for use in future years in the new 342 TO Low and
343 TO High orchards located at our site.
• We also topped trees in the new orchards to maintain
low picking height.
• Adelgids were not a problem this year.
F gure 2 . Collect ng
Pl us ng G rette.
31