Objectives:

The purpose of the field component of this study is to assess the significance of nursery blackout treatments with respect to:

• overall seedling growth and survival in the field,
• shoot phenological development in spring 1989, fall 1989 and spring 1990,
• frost hardiness in spring and fall 1989 and spring 1990
• susceptibility to overwintering damage in winter 1989-90

Experimental Design:

Treatments

The field performance of nursery stock subjected to four different photoperiods (13, 15, 17 and 19 hours) and three different durations (2, 4 and 6 days) is being tested.

Layout:

• There are five replicates.
• Each replicate has 13 randomly assigned lines of 25 seedlings. (twelve treatments plus one line of operationally grown seedlings of the same seedlot).
• Plots (replicates) are 26 m by 25 m, and are adjacent to each other.

History:

• 1989 Establishment and phenological first year assessments
• 1990 - 1991 Fall assessments
• 1993 - Fifth-year assessment

Status: Dormant

Reports and Publications:

Hawkins, C.D.B. and D. Draper. 1991. Effects of blackout on British Columbia spruce seed lots at Red Rock Research Station. B.C. Min. For., FRDA Report 170.

Krasowski, M.J., T. Letchford and A.M. Eastham. 1993. Growth of short-day white and Engelmann spruce seedlings on various trial sites established throughout British Columbia. B.C. Min. For., FRDA Res. Rep. 209. For. Can. and BCMoF, Victoria, B.C.

Story, T.L., C.F. Thompson and C.D.B. Hawkins. 1994. Five year field performance of short day nursery treated Engelmann spruce seedlings in the Nelson Forest Region of British Columbia. Paper presented at combined meeting of Western Forest Nursery Assn. and the Forest Nursery Assn. of B.C., Moscow, ID. Aug 16-18, 1994.

Hawkins, C.D.B. 1996. Spruce blackout nursery culture in British Columbia: Operational Summary. FRDA Research Memo 229, For. Can. and BCMoF, Victoria, B.C.

Comments:

This project was established by Chris Hawkins when he was at the Red Rock Research Centre.  Since he is no-longer with the Ministry, all enquiries should be directed to the Research Branch in Victoria.