Overview

Coastal Tree Breeding

• Coastal Douglas-fir
• Western redcedar
• Yellow cypress
• Sitka spruce
• Western white pine (coastal)
• Western hemlock

Interior Tree Breeding

• Interior spruce
• Interior Douglas-fir
• Western larch
• Lodgepole pine
• Western white pine (interior)

Coastal Tree Breeding

Coastal Douglas-fir (Michael Stoehr, Keith Bird, Clint Hollefreund, Lisa Hayton)

Breeding:

Coastal Douglas-fir (0 - 700 m)

Tree improvement efforts in coastal Douglas-fir were initiated in the early 1960s with the pioneering work of Alan Orr-Ewing. In the mid-seventies, Chris Heaman started a diallel crossing project with 6-parent, disconnected partial diallels over eight years. In each year an average of 8 diallel sets (each with 15 full-sib families) were planted on 11 sites for a total of 88 test sites in typical coastal Douglas-fir sites (EP 708). In these progeny tests, candidate trees were forward selected, using an index of height growth and wood relative density for the establishment of the breeding and production populations. Currently, the breeding population (360 genotypes) is sub-divided into 30 sublines for future testing and breeding. To increase gain per time, a complimentary test design is used for subline testing. All parents in each subline are polycross tested (to get GCA estimates) using a standard (average breeding value) polymix and at the same time, positive assorted mating, (based on BLP BV estimates of forward selections) is used to get full-sib families within each subline. There are between 10 and 15 parents in each subline.

In 1989 and 2003, eight sublines each were established in tests: 4 GCA test sites and one field and one farm-field site of full-sib family blocks. Forward selections in these full-sib blocks will be made based on the GCA tests. Another 8 sublines will be sown in 2005.

Initial selection will be made at age 8, selecting the top 3 families per subline with the best three progeny being grafted. Final selections will be made at age 11 to pick the best progeny of the best family for the production population.

High-Elevation Douglas-fir (>700 m):

In co-operation with Canadian Forest Products Ltd. (Patti Brown), 54 of 56 parents in their high-elevation Douglas-fir orchard (#116) are GCA tested as a basis for roguing. Based on 4-year results, 20% of the parent clones were rogued from below and a further 20% were rogued based on age 7 BLP BV estimates. Final selections will be made at age 11. Gains for this orchard are expected to be around 7%, supplying roughly 500 k seeds for the planting zone between 700 m and 1000 m.

Sub-maritime Douglas-fir (coast-interior transition):

Earlier work in this seed production zone consisted of wind-pollinated genecology tests with seed collected along elevational transects and tested on five sub-maritime (SM) sites. Recently, a clonal seed orchard was established with roughly 100 phenotypically superior parents selected from the sub-maritime zone. To take advantage of the flowering crop due to transplanting, a GCA test to facilitate backward selections will be planted in 2005 on three sites in the SM zone at higher elevations (>750 m). It is foreseen that this orchard will be rogued to 15 parental clones based on the progeny tests and will be supplemented with forward selections from the genecology tests. Gain is expected to be above 8%.

Other Research:

Site Effects on Wood Density:

In the second generation coastal Douglas-fir tests (EP 708), selected full-sib families were planted on 22 sites instead of 11. These families are considered the 'overlap' families, as they span two test series. Three sets of these overlap families are available. In order to study the effects of site variables on relative density, these overlap families were cored to obtain core samples, which are analysed for relative wood density using the maximum moisture method. Climate variables will also be used as potential predictors of wood density.

Provenance Testing and Climate Change:

Five series of Douglas-fir provenance tests are currently available. The test series were planted between 1958 and 1974, containing between 6 and 77 provenances planted on three to 23 sites. The data are primarily used for seed transfer guidelines as the oldest tests approach rotation age. We also hope to use our tests to evaluate effects of climate change as previously shown with lodgepole pine. A large number of provenance tests have also been planted in Europe that contain local populations. We are attempting to obtain data from these tests for our climate change models.

Realized Gain Trials:

To evaluate volume gain in improved planting stock of Douglas-fir, five tests were established in 1996 in the following areas: 1) Campbell River, 2) Spirit Lake north of Campbell River, 3) Lang Bay near Powell River, 4) Roberston Creek near Mesachie Lake, and 5) Norrish near Harrison. Measurements were carried out in the fall of 2001. These tests were established at four different planting densities ranging from 625 trees/ha to 3906 trees/ha using three levels of genetic improvement. These were: 'Wildstand' controls with an anticipated gain of 0%, 'Mid-Gain' families, representing the average genetic gain expected in second generation seed orchards (roughly 12% genetic gain) and 'Top-Crosses', representing the best parents crossed with each other with an anticipated genetic gain of 17% in height growth. Plots were planted as 12 x 12 square plots in each density x genetic level combination. The results for fall heights in 2001 showed that the average gain of the 'Mid-Gain' families over the Wildstand was 12%, while the 'Top-Crosses' outperformed the controls by an average of 17% over all five sites. Competition effects due to spacing are not obvious yet, but will be evaluated in detail on data collected at a later date.