Forest seed issues and tree breeding in

SwedenFinnvid Prescher

Svenska Skogsplantor AB

Afforestation conference, Iceland, November 6. 2012

Forest Seed Centre Lagan Svenska Skogsplantor

AB, produce 130 Million plants/year

8 nurseries, 1 seed station

Planting 2011, total 384 Million plants

Seed need, kg conifer seed

19%

81%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Plant type

Bare-rootRooted plants

74%

20%

2% 3%0%

10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%

Regeneration

Planting

NaturalregenerationDirectsowingNo action

1825 kg + 3110 kg + 1350 kg = 6285 kg

Small import & export of seed, approximately same amount

Forest seed production in Sweden

4 seed stations/extraction plantsSvenska Skogsplantor, Lagan, ≈ 60%

Bergvik Skog, 2 stations, ≈ 30%Skogsfrö AB i Skandinavien, ≈ 10%

Seed extraction in Lagan

3500-4000 kg Mainly P. sylvestris P. abies in flowering years P. contorta Larix eurolepis Betula, Alnus, Fagus, Quercus

Cones are harvested in seed orchards Exception:

pine in outmost north of Sweden acorns (Quercus ssp.)

The tree breeding cycle

From Eriksson et al. 2007

Breeding goals

Utilization areas

Spruce Pine

Principle of the breeding strategy with subpopulations for different photoperiods and temperature climate

From Eriksson et al. 2007

Breeding populations

2nd batch s.o.

3rd batch s.o.

Pine Spruce

Seed orchards

1100 hectares of seed orchards > 100 orchards New programme 2003-2016, 360 ha new

orchards, ≈ 25% better than stand seed Located within the utilization zone

Svenska Skogsplantors ideas on seed orchards

S.o. are the most cost-efficient way to increase future forest production

Age of replacement is 30 years in pine and 40 years in spruce

Advanced-generation s.o. should contain 25-30 clones, with ramets deployed linearly with respect to breeding value, for an effective number of 15-18 clones

Cones can be harvested as soon as significant amount of cones develop (8 years in pine), taking contamination in account.

Cone harvest is a dominating cost, thus s.o. should be pruned in order to reduce tree height and thus lower harvesting costs

Genetic gain and diversity

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050

3rd batch s.o.

4th batch s.o.

Progress in breeding

Somatic embryogenesis, SE-plants

EmbryoPhoto: Skogforsk Photo: Skogforsk

Photo: Skogforsk

Photo: Skogforsk

Photo: Skogforsk

Photo: Svenska Skogsplantor

Limitations

Works today only well on spruce Not so good on contorta-pine Bad on pine

Legal restrictions Allowed on 5 % on the foresters land or max

20 hectares Price

Possible co-operation with Iceland

• Seed trade • Larix and Pinus contorta seed• Sitka spruce

• Joint seed orchard programs?!• Larix• P. contorta• B. pubescens and pendula

• More ideas?

Thank you for your attention