Tree Improvement Program Project Report 2006 / 2007

.2.7 Increas ng Qual ty, Genet c Ga n
and Quant ty of Yellow Cedar
Cutt ngs
Mark Gr ffin, John Ogg, Cra g Ferguson,
John Russell
SPU 1113
Introduct on
This project involves increasing the quantity and quality of
high-value yellow cedar cuttings for the coastal program.
Objectives include:
1. provide the cultural treatments required to improve
hedge production
2. enhance hedge composition by replacing lower-geneticvalue
families and clones with newly tested, improved
clones
2006/2007 H ghl ghts
Pruning of hedges occurred in early 2006, and fertilizing
of both the soil-based and field-based containerplanted
hedges with 34-0-0, 19-18-18, and 12-51-0
continued throughout the growing season. The media
for the greenhouse-grown container-planted donor
plants contained APEX 16-5-11, augmented by weekly
applications of hi-sol.
Approximately 5,400 genetically improved cuttings
from series 1 and 2 with an estimated genetic worth of
between 10 and 15% were potted up into one-gallon pots,
pruned, and placed in a greenhouse to produce donors.
These joined an existing inventory of some 4,200 donor
plants. To create space for the newer, genetically improved
material, 1,390 older series one selections were either
rogued or moved out into the field. Some 1,560 genetically
improved cuttings from SSM and QCI were also potted
and placed into a greenhouse for production.
This year Cowichan Lake Research Station supplied
BC Timber Sales with enough cutting material to set
approximately 230,000 cuttings. Approximately 140,000
cuttings came from high-gain material from the greenhouse.
The goal eventually is to produce 300,000 cuttings from
the 8,000 high-gain greenhouse-grown donors.
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
F gure 37. Inventory of yellow cedar donor stock.
F gure 3 . Older yellow cedar stock weeks after m d-season prun ng.