Source: NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIV submitted to
GENETIC IMPROVEMENT OF LOBLOLLY PINE
 
PROJECT DIRECTOR: McKeand, S. E.
 
PERFORMING ORGANIZATION
FORESTRY
NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIV
RALEIGH,NC 27695
 
NON TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Plantations of loblolly pine in the south are only as productive as the genetic potential of the planting stock used to establish them. This project will incorporate new techniques for identifying and characterizing genes into regional breeding schemes, while accommodating new methods of planting stock production and deployment. Progress in the future will depend, in part, on our ability to incorporate these new technologies into the management of our breeding populations in an optimal way.
 
OBJECTIVES: A. To investigate genetic variation and the adaptability of intensively selected loblolly pine in diverse environments. B. To develop breeding, testing and selection strategies for the genetic improvement of loblolly pine. C. To investigate the effect of various seed orchard development and management schemes on orchard productivity and genetic gain. D. To develop alternative clonal selection and deployment methods to increase realized gains from genetically improved material.
 
APPROACH: Ensuring sustainability of intensively managed plantations of lobolly pine in the South and maintaining the potential for additional genetic gains in the future will require a more thorough understanding of the environmental limits to growth, quality, and adaptability traits. Determining the optimal seed source for reforestation remains important as selected populations now include a mixture of natural stand and plantation selections. For regions near of beyond the natural range of loblolly pine, tests are necessary to determine the limits of seed source movement. The physiological and growth responses to disease, cold, photoperiod, and numerous climatic edaphic factors which limit the movement of loblolly pine sources are being studied. Breeding, testing, and selection is the backbone of the tree improvement effort for loblolly pine. Until recently, most research effort has focused on evaluating various selection strategies. With the initiation of the 3rd-cycle of breeding, our research has become more dependant on modeling techniques and computer simulation, but there remains much work to be done through field trials and empirical studies. The incorporation of wood quality traits into the breeding program requires and understanding of the genetic basis of their control. There is also an urgent need to integrate the rapid progress in biotechnology and molecular genetics into operational tree breeding. Virtually all economic analyses show that the driving factor in determining the profitability of a tree improvement program is the cost-effective production of seeds and seedlings. While research continues on the management of fertility in seed orchards, chemical insect control is still the most important cultural tool seed orchard managers have to maintain high seed production. Unfortunately, the number of chemicals available for cone and seed insect control has been reduced, and more will likely be removed from the market due to environmental and political concerns. Members of the NCSU-Industry Cooperative Tree Improvement Program are testing alternative chemicals and lower rates of chemicals to control various pests. Intensive seed orchard management practices have been utilized in various ways for the last three decades to increase orchard productivity. Empirical studies have shown significant benefits from the intensive management in both increased seed production and in improved health and vigor of seed orchard trees. While research on production efficiency will continue, additional research will be directed toward investigation of the effect of development and management practices on the genetic gain from seed orchards. The next big jump in genetic gain from loblolly breeding programs will most likely come from mass production of full-sibs and ultimately from mass production of selected genotypes through clonal deployment. The NCSU-Industry Cooperative Tree Improvement Program and its staff collaborate closely with vegetative propagation research in cooperation with the Rooted Cutting Coop under the direction of Barry Goldfarb.
 
CRIS NUMBER: 0195494 SUBFILE: CRIS
PROJECT NUMBER: NCZ04187 SPONSOR AGENCY: NIFA
PROJECT TYPE: MCINTIRE-STENNIS PROJECT STATUS: EXTENDED MULTI-STATE PROJECT NUMBER: (N/A)
START DATE: May 1, 2003 TERMINATION DATE: Apr 30, 2009

GRANT PROGRAM: (N/A)
GRANT PROGRAM AREA: (N/A)

CLASSIFICATION
Knowledge Area (KA)Subject (S)Science (F)Objective (G)Percent
123061110806.3100%

CLASSIFICATION HEADINGS
KA123 - Management and Sustainability of Forest Resources
S0611 - Conifer forests of the South
F1080 - Genetics
G6.3 - Protect and Manage Forests and Rangelands


RESEARCH EFFORT CATEGORIES
BASIC 20%
APPLIED 30%
DEVELOPMENTAL 50%

KEYWORDS: pinus taeda; reforestation; planting stock; tree breeding; tree improvement; selection systems; seed orchards; biotechnology; forest plantation; stand establishment; forest stands; clones; productivity; tree genetics; sustained use; genetic variance; forest management; plant adaptation; molecular genetics; cooperative research

PROGRESS: Jan 1, 2006 TO Dec 31, 2006
The Cooperative Tree Improvement Program at NC State started its 2nd half century in 2006. We have celebrated our 50 years of success, but we are even more excited about the coming decades of genetic improvement with loblolly pine. Our estimate is that half of the seedlings planted annually in the United States have their genetic origin at NC State. The financial benefits from our tree improvement efforts are enormous to these landowners, with the present value of planting the best genotypes ranging from $50 to $300 per acre depending on the silvicultural and management system used. The changing ownership of southern timberlands has been a challenge to our tree improvement efforts. With fewer integrated forest products companies owning timberlands and more TIMOs and REITs as the primary owners, education and recruitment of new members to contribute to the breeding and research programs have intensified. We conducted over 10 workshops and education programs to educate foresters and landowners about the value of tree improvement. The 3rd-cycle breeding program is in full swing. Numerous full-sib block-plot tests for within family selection and PMX tests went to the field. All the remaining checklot comparison tests were also planted. Breeding efforts have intensified so that breeding in the third-cycle elite populations should be completed in the next 3 years. Efforts to understand the fusiform rust - loblolly pine pathosystem have accelerated with the initiation of the Fr Gene Discovery Project. The discovery of more major genes for rust resistance in these elite pedigrees will enable us to more successfully breed and deploy rust-resistant material. At the NCSU Hofmann Forest, a 65-acre study was established to research the impacts of different levels of genetic homogeneity on growth and yield and ecophysiology of loblolly pine stands. This is a long-term field laboratory for biometricians, physiologists, and geneticists to better understand the stand dynamics and ecophysiology of our genetic material. Funding from the National Science Foundation allowed NC State scientists and students to collaborate with other scientists around the country in the Allele Discovery of Economic Pine Traits 2 project (ADEPT 2). Clonal trials have now been established to understand the molecular genetics of complex traits and the relationship between natural genetic and phenotypic variation in forest trees. Family and clonal differences in microfibril angle (MFA) were large and suggest that selection for lower MFA would be effective in increasing lumber strength, stiffness, and stability.

IMPACT: 2006-01-01 TO 2006-12-31 Virtually all of the almost one billion loblolly pine seedlings now planted annually in the southeastern US are genetically improved. If the best genetic material is planted with the best silvicultural inputs, mean annual increments of 300 ft3/acre/year or more can be obtained. Depending on site index, intensity of management, stumpage prices, and internal rates of return, landowners can easily realize between $50 per acre to over $300 per acre of net present value by planting outstanding families that increase site index (SI25) by five feet. Availability of even higher quality seed orchard parents and source material for clonal testing, combined with fine-tuning of guidelines for deployment of improved planting stock will yield faster growing plantations with lower risk, while relieving harvesting pressure from natual forests.

PUBLICATION INFORMATION: 2006-01-01 TO 2006-12-31
Alizoti, P., B. Li, and S.E. McKeand. 2006. Early evaluation of intra- and inter-provenance hybrids of loblolly pine for planting in Piedmont regions of the southern US. For. Sci 52:557-567.

PROJECT CONTACT INFORMATION
NAME: Li, B.
PHONE: 919-515-6845
FAX: 919-515-3169