THIS ISSUE AT A GLANCE

Page Article

3 Abies spp. Processing

5J.D. Irving, Limited Parkindale SeedOrchard

5Cone and Seed Processing at AlbertaTree Improvement & Seed Centre

6Overview of the Atlantic Forest SeedCentre

7 Cone and Seed Processing in Manitoba

8Seed Processing at the Centre desemences forestières of Berthier

10A Profile About: Nothing Ventured –Nothing Gained

11Seed Processing at the National TreeSeed Centre

13 Resin Vesicles in Conifer Seeds

15New foundland’s First Major W hiteSpruce Orchard Cone Collection

16 Silva Enterprises Ltd.

16 National Tree Seed Centre

16Development of Biological ControlMethods Against Seed Orchard Pests

18 Web Site Updates

18 IUFRO Tree Seed Symposium

18 BC Cone & Seed Insect Program

19 Upcoming Meetings

19 Selected References

CANADIAN TREE IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION/ASSOCIATION CANADIENNE POUR L’AMÉLIORATION DES ARBRES

Tree Seed Working Group

NEWS BULLETIN

No. 42 December 2005

CONE AND SEED PROCESSING

CHAIR’S ‘ARMCHAIR’ REPORT

Seasons greetings to everyone! This edition of theNews Bulletin focuses on Cone and SeedProcessing (CSP). How many people have visiteda processing facility in the last year? If it has beenseveral years it may be time to get re-acquaintedand see what is possible with your collections.Thank you to everyone who has contributed to theNews Bulletin – you are the people who keep italive.

Cone and seed processing is a topic not wellrepresented in the scientific literature. This ispartly due to the complications of altering aspecific processing variable and controlling allother variables in an operational setting. Thisshould not be used as an excuse to abandonscientific principles, but it must be realized that allvariables cannot be controlled in operationalprocessing. The lack of published work is also atestament to the reduced number of peoplededicated to working in this area of research.Processing facilities are always looking toimprove procedures and efficiencies, butadvancements are often specific to a certainfacility’s equipment, the species, and origin ofseedlots that facility processes. Sometimesadvancements are considered ‘proprietary’ or of acompetitive advantage, so not all advancementsget widely distributed. It is also a very specializedfield and the audience for processing informationis limited.

Early trials ‘sacrificed’ seedlots for knowledgegain, but today that is impractical. Gains inproductivity and efficiency are mainly attainedthrough quality assurance monitoring employed ateach facility. This allows for improvements to bemade based on a wide genetic base and preferablyon the results of several processing years. Earlytrials were often based on a single or few seedlots.Some studies can be performed under “lab-type”

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conditions, but one must appreciate that the results ofsomeone extracting every individual seed by handmay not be exactly duplicated under operationalprocessing.

There are also different expectations in terms ofproportion of viable seed, purity, and moisturecontent for different jurisdictions. In general,containerized growing systems are more demandingof seedlot quality. Cone and seed processing stepsneed to be performed correctly as you generally onlyget one chance to perform an activity. Efficiencycertainly influences this, but overhandling ofmaterials through repeated or improper processes andits impact on seed quality should always be aconcern.

At our facility, we have standard workplans forspecies, but it is expected that the type, extent,duration, and order of treatment can and will varybetween seedlots. This is why CSP is often referredto as both Art and Science. The art aspect is involvedin the balancing of seedlot quality, quantity, integrity,and diversity without introducing longer term seedproblems. There are no recipes and although seedlotsof a specific species have much in common there aremany items beyond the direct control of theprocessor such as reproductive success, pestproblems, collection timing, type and duration ofpost-collection handling, shipment method, crop-to-crop differences, and variability in the due diligenceapplied to all of these activities. This introducedvariability results in a need to base processes on thecharacteristics of the individual seedlot andsometimes on specific fractions of a seedlot (i.e., atfinal cleaning). Each seedlot is unique and throughprocessing, evaluation of seed retained and discardedand final germination tests, a great deal of knowledgeis uncovered about the seedlot. The lack of current published studies should notunderscore the importance of cone and seedprocessing to the quality of the seedlots we use toregenerate our forests. These activities can have ahuge impact on the quality and diversity of seed weare using. Seed upgrading can be a solution toincrease seed quality in some seedlots. Thisimprovement can be due to seedlots being old andneeding more current processing techniques or togains obtained by using physiological characteristicsto remove ‘inferior’ seeds. The gains are not possiblewith all seedlots and the unique characteristics ofeach seedlot need to be carefully considered.

For our next News Bulletin the theme will be“Information Management” and compared to thisedition’s theme it is something everyone should beable to comment upon. It is relevant to orchards,breeding programs, cone and seed processing, seedstorage, testing, seed preparation, and the nursery.Everyone has to manage information and I’m sure we

can all gain something by sharing informationregarding how we do this, what is possible todaytechnically, and also expressing opinions of whatinformation is most relevant. I would greatlyappreciate contributions. The next News Bulletinwill come out in June, if Dale or I could receivearticles by mid-May that would be greatlyappreciated.

I’d also like to pass on some sad news concerninga friend and colleague. Clare Hewson passed awayon October 9 th, 2005 after a long fight with cancer.Many will remember Clare for his strong opinionsand desire to move our tree improvement programforward. He played a big part in the interior sprucetree improvement program going back to parenttree selection and continued in tree improvementeventually being the technical advisor for theinterior orchard program. In addition to Clare’spassion for his work and gold-panning I’llremember a caring and unique individual. I’vetaken the liberty of including a poem from hismemorial “The Old Prospector” to celebrate Clare.Our condolences are passed on to his family andfriends.

“The Old Prospector”A Tribute to Clare Hewson

They headed out the canyon,Late autumn in the snow,The old prospector and his mule,Loaded down, movin’ slow.He’d button high his collar,Had his hat stuck on like glueAnd they headed straight for Elko‘cause well, they wanted to!He chewed a twist of somethingThat’d most likely curl your hair,His long beard matched his steel-grayEyes, with their penitratin’ stareHe moved with calm demeanor,Seemed fearless thru and thru,And they headed straight for Elko‘cause they wanted to!His mule was short and wiryWith a face long and sad,He had away of movin’Kinda like his owner had.They seemed to fit togetherAnd their partnership was true,And they headed straight for Elko‘cause, well they wanted to!When they hoofed it into ElkoA bunch of cowboys gathered around,See they just come off the trailAnd was shootin’ up the town.When they spied the old prospector,They decided what they’d do,And they circled up around him,

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‘cause they wanted to!One asked the old prospectorIf he’d ever learned to dance,“Naw” he said real cautious,“I ain’t never had the chance.”The cowboy drew his sx-gun,said “You’ll dance before I’m thru!”So he danced that night in Elko,just as if he wanted to!Yeah, he danced and dodged the bulletsJust like a jumpin’ jack,‘til he counted six, then he stopped,And took somethin’ from his pack.In his hand he held a shotgun,His voice was calm and cool,He said “Sonny, tell me somethin’,Have you ever kissed a mule?”The young man’s face contortedAs he pondered his disgrace,He stared with consternationAt the shotgun in his face.He swallowed hard before he spoke,It was plain he’d thought it thru,“No I ain’t never kissed a mule,But I’ve always wanted to!”

Dave KoloteloChairperson

EDITOR’S NOTES

The theme of this New Bulletin follows nicely on thetheme of the previous one. Cone and seed processingis where you can make or break what Mother Nature( a n d s e e d o r c h a r d m a n a g e rs ) h a s / h a veprovided/produced. By and large, processing methodsare quite standard for conifer species but there arealways aberrations that are unique to each cone andseed processing facility. This is also where the artcomes into play with the science. Processing ofhardwood seed and fruit also has its uniquechallenges.

The coming summer of 2006 will see severalmeetings dealing with seed and genetics taking placein Canada, specifically in the east (see UpcomingMeetings for additional details). I hope many of youwill be afforded the opportunity to attend these andenjoy some eastern hospitality.

At this time I want to wish you all a Merry Christmasand all the best for a healthy, prosperous New Year.

Dale SimpsonEditor

TREE SEED WORKING GROUP

ChairpersonDave Kolotelo

BC Ministry of Forests and RangeTree Seed Centre

18793 - 32nd AvenueSurrey, BC V4P 1M5

Tel.: (604) 541-1683 x 228Fax.: (604) 541-1685

E-m ail: Dave.Kolotelo@gems7.gov.bc.ca

EditorDale Simpson

Natural Resources CanadaCanadian Forest ServiceAtlantic Forestry Centre

P.O. Box 4000Fredericton, NB E3B 5P7

Tel.: (506) 452-3530Fax.: (506) 452-3525

E-m ail: Dale.Simpson@nrcan.gc.ca

Comments, suggestions, and contributions for theNews Bulletin are welcomed by the Chairpersonand Editor.

Abies spp. PROCESSING

The B.C. Ministry of Forests and Range Tree SeedCentre (TSC) processes three Abies species:grandis, lasciocarpa, and amabilis. The followingis a high level overview of our cone and seedprocessing practices for those interested in thesespecies.

We encourage clients to make use of our cone andseed evaluation services before and during conecollection and in some cases during interimstorage. These evaluations are a good way toconfirm general quality and condition of conesand seed, seed development, fungal activity, insectspecies and infestation levels and predict expectedyields. These evaluations also give us a betterunderstanding of each year’s unique cropdevelopment, pests, and collection timingcharacteristics.

Abies cones are received at the TSC after a 4 weekor more period of field storage. This pre-shipmentstorage period is strongly recommended to allowsufficient time for cones to dry prior to shipping.We recommend that clients use pallets to separatesack layers, fill sacks no more than half full (20 L)and use refrigerated trailers for the haul duration.Cones are sacked in either burlap or nylon mesh(onion sack) bags. Depending on collection and

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field storage conditions, cone moisture content onreceipt can be high, ranging from 20 to 55% ; conecondition varies from intact to fully disintegrated.

Upon receipt at the TSC, representative cone samplesare drawn for moisture testing and cone/seedevaluations. The information provided by theseevaluations serves to help guide and inform ourprocessing treatment selections and schedules. Anyfindings that could significantly impact potentialgermination capacity and/or yield are reported backto the client. On receipt, Abies cones are removedfrom sacks, spread on screen-lined, plastic trays andmoved to a pre-conditioning area. Cones will remainin this cool wind tunnel environment, at temperaturesranging from 12 to 15°C for 1 – 3 months. Duringthis period, cones and seed are routinely inspected,remixed, trays rotated to assist drying if necessary,and samples drawn for moisture content monitoring.When cones are fully disintegrated and seed moisturelevels have dropped to 15%, the seedlot is ready to bescheduled for processing.

TSC processing begins with seed extraction, wherelarge, coarse cone debris (scales and axes) and finesare removed by a circular action screening machine.Initial cleaning follows where most but not all of themoderate debris and fines are removed. Seed isdewinged by dry rotary methods. Final cleaninginvolves specific gravity table separation methods.An additional screen cleaning treatment (secondarycleaning) may occur depending on types and volumesof debris present in a given seedlot.

Quality assurance measures are in place through allphases of processing. At the TSC we monitor andrecord seedlot identity, input and output weights andvolumes, carefully scrutinize and note resin vesiclecondition and evaluate seed fill, development, andinsect damage/activity at all processing steps.

Abies seed processing combines a number ofprocessing challenges: 1) resin vesicles (and the riskof over handling and loss of seedlot diversity), 2)high proportions of empty seed (and the seed coatdifferences within), and 3) large volumes of debrisand pitch, fungal, dead and insect filled seed volumes(and the risk of under handling).

In our particular processing environment, tominimize the risk of seed damage and to achieveAbies processing success we employ the followingguidelines:

1) To minimize the risk of potential resinvesicle damage, foam inserts are placed in allcollection tubs. Foam inserts have been designedfor the dewinging drum and all possibleequipment impact areas are padded with foam.2) Portions to be run are gently blended withtalc prior to equipment processing.3) Process duration and number of steps arekept to a minimum.4) Seed is kept as cool as possible duringprocessing:

! removal of limited volumes of product atany one time

! returned to cooler storage during breaktimes

! minimum of 24 hours between processingactivities.

5) Screen selection: types, order of placement inequipment, perforation size, shape and orientationon screen (a sloped insert is utilized to minimizethe volume of product on roller belt fed regulatinggates).6) Seed development and fill are monitoredduring and between every phase.7) To optimize dewinging performance, seedmoisture testing is completed prior to dewingingand dry back performed if necessary.8) Dewinging batch size is not only related tovolume but filled seed averages as well.9) Use of gravity table rather than pneumaticspecific gravity separation equipment (cloth deck).10) Finding the right balance of seed quality andquantity in the final product.11) Final product gently talced and blended byhand, not mechanically.

The table below summarizes average germinationsand yields/hL for processed Abies species overfive crop years.

Please contact me if you would like more detailedinformation about our processing equipment,practices, and standards.

Species Germination (%) Yield per Hectolitre (kg/hL)

Abies amabilis – Amabilis fir 75 2.289

Abies grandis – grand fir 76 1.989

Abies lasiocarpa – sub-alpine fir 65 1.411

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Debbie PicardBC Ministry of Forests and RangeTree Seed Centre18793 - 32nd AvenueSurrey, BC V4P 1M5Tel: (604) 541-1683 x 227E-m ail: Debbie.Picard@gov.bc.ca

J.D. IRVING, LIMITED PARKINDALE SEED ORCHARD

The Irving Company has been planting treessince 1957. In the first 20 years most of theseedlings were produced in outdoor seedbeds(bare-root). By the late 1970’s seedlingproduction changed more and more to containerseedlings, grown in greenhouses. Last year weproduced 23 million seedlings, 2 million rootedcuttings, and 750,000 tissue culture trees, allgrown in “Multipots”.

In the late 1970’s we also started our treeimprovement program, producing the bestpossible trees for our reforestation program.With this came the establishment of seedorchards and the production of geneticallyimproved seed. As seed quality improved andseed became more valuable, the need forcleaning it properly became more important aswell. In 1988 we purchased the best extractingand cleaning equipment available on the market,at that time! (BCC – Bjorkemar Construction &Consulting, AB).

The equipment was set up at our clonal seedorchard located at Parkindale, 50 km south-westof Moncton, New Brunswick. The seedextraction equipment consists of one propanefired kiln (capacity of 10 hL per load), onecombination tumbler and dewinger, onecombination scalper and sizer, a liquid separator,and two gravity separators. The Swedishcompany custom built the tumbler/dewinger andthe scalper/sizer for us, as space was limited inthe plant. We have had great success with theBCC equipment and only a few minor changeswere made.

Since 1988 we have extracted and cleaned seedfrom more than 4000 hL of cones. Most of thecones came from our orchards, with somecustom cleaning for other organizations as well.Our main species are: white, black, red andNorway spruce, and jack and white pine. Wealso work with red and Austrian pine; Eastern,European and Japanese larch; eastern white

cedar; eastern hemlock; balsam fir; and whiteand yellow birch. All the seed for our nurseriescomes from orchards, except red spruce andwhite pine. Both of these species were justrecently established at Parkindale.

Cone production was poor in 2005 at theorchard. Only 10 hL of white pine and 11 hL ofsecond generation jack pine were collected andcleaned. All our seed is tested for purity andgermination and stored at the Sussex TreeNursery.

Hartmut KunzeJ.D. Irving, LimitedSussex Tree Nursery181 Aiton RoadSussex, NB E4G 2V5E-m ail: Kunze.Hartmut@jdirving.com

CONE AND SEED PROCESSING ATALBERTA TREE IMPROVEMENT &

SEED CENTRE

The Alberta Tree Improvement and Seed Centre(ATISC) extracts and cleans small researchseedlots less than one hL in volume, includingmostly single-tree collections, as part of the seedgermplasm conservation program in support ofthe provincial tree improvement program.Species handled are white spruce, black spruce,Douglas-fir, balsam fir, subalpine fir, Siberianlarch, tamarack, western larch, subalpine larch,white bark pine, limber pine, lodgepole pine,jack pine, balsam poplar, cottonwood, andaspen. The average seedlot size is approximately20 g. Because research seedlots are muchsmaller than operational lots, the seed processingequipment used, such as the kiln, tumbler andaspirator, are designed for handling small lots.

All collections, upon receipt, are assigned anaccession ID number and measured for volume.With the exception of some pines, cones of mostconifer species are spread thinly in screened-bottom trays or pallets, labelled, and placed intoa temperature-controlled environmental roomfor curing. Temperatures are set between 13 to16°C. Cones are stirred daily to promoteuniform drying. After 5 to 6 weeks cones aremoved into an empty greenhouse for anyadditional curing if needed and where they areheld until extraction. Temperature in thegreenhouse is set at 18°C. Lodgepole pine andjack pine cones, if received dry, are stored in

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their collection sacks in a production room untilextraction. Poplar and aspen collections arespread thinly in screened-bottom trays. Each trayis covered with an upside down screened tray top r e v e n t f l u f f d i s p e r s a l a n d s e e d l o tcontamination. The trays are held at roomtemperature in the production room.

The ATISC has a walk-in kiln with stationaryshelving units which hold screened-bottomtrays. Each tray holds about 3 to 5 L of cones.The kiln is equipped with fans to promote aircirculation and an exhaust system to removehumid air. Most cones open readily during thecuring process in the temperature-controlledroom or in the greenhouse but, where necessary,cones may be kilned at 40°C for four to eighthours to facilitate further cone scale flexing.Cones of serotinous species, such as lodgepolepine and jack pine, are placed in small aluminumcages, dipped into 80°C water for about 1minute, drained, spread to one cone thickness inthe screened-bottom trays, and placed in thekiln. The kiln temperature is raised and held at60°C for 8 hours. Black spruce cones are soakedin tepid water for 4 hours, drained, air dried for17 hours, and then kilned for 8 hours at 60°C.This soak-drain-kiln operation may be repeatedup to three times before all the seed is released.

Once opened, cones are tumbled in a smallportable screened drum extractor. The wingedseed falls through the screen and is collectedinto a bin beneath the tumbler.

Dewinging is done by misting the seed withwater in a small stainless steel bowl and gentlystirring intermittently with a rubber spatula.After about 30 minutes, when the majority of thewings appear to be separated, the seed and wingsare spread on screened-bottom trays for drying.Once dry, in 2 to 3 hours, wings and emptyseeds are removed in a Dakota blower. Topfractions from the blower are examined underthe microscope for full seed. Scales and bractsare removed using a variety of soil sieves.

Fluff from Populus species is removed from thecapsules by hand and placed between the firsttwo sieves in a series of four soil sieves with themesh opening decreasing in size from the topdown. Mesh size is determined by the speciesbeing processed. Compressed air is directedthrough the sieves for about 30 secondsseparating the seed from the fluff which allowsit to fall through to the smaller mesh sizedscreens below.

Finally, seedlots are hand cleaned to removeresin, insects, cone particles, wings, etc. Whereamounts allow, moisture content tests are

conducted. Seed having a moisture content over8% is spread thinly on netting inside plastictrays and is placed inside a drier/germinator at29% RH and 20°C. Drying time is adjusted tothe initial moisture content. Once the drying iscompleted and again where amounts allow,another moisture content test is done.

After seedlots have been processed they aretested and placed into -18°C storage. About 150to 200 seedlots are added to the inventory eachyear. The ATISC presently has 5,669 seedlots ininventory.

Corrine AndriukAlberta Sustainable Resource DevelopmentTree Improvement and Seed CentrePO Box 750Smoky Lake, AB T0A 3C0E-m ail: Corrine.Andriuk@gov.ab.ca

OVERVIEW OF THE ATLANTIC FORESTSEED CENTRE

The Atlantic Forest Seed Centre (AFSC) wasestablished in 1978 by the NB Department ofNatural Resources (DNR). The facility is locatedjust outside Fredericton at the Kingsclear ForestNursery and overlooks the beautiful St. JohnRiver valley. Without a doubt we have the bestview of all the seed centres in Canada!

Besides the best view, the AFSC provides twoimportant services: it provides the provincialnursery with high quality seed for use in thereforestation program and it offers extractionservices. This includes seed extraction, cleaning,and storage to clients across Atlantic Canada andMaine. The majority of seed extracted for bothDNR and the forest industry originates from firstand second generation seed orchards. The AFSCalso extracts substantial amounts of balsam firseed for the NB Christmas tree growers.

The facility is typical of many seed centres withthe process beginning when the cones arrive inburlap bags in the fall. The bags are hung incuring sheds until they are moved indoors forextraction, which generally begins in Novemberor early December. The Centre has five heatedkilns, each containing a large wire mesh drumthat rotates. As the cones open, the seeds arereleased and are gathered in hoppers below.

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The AFSC has various seed cleaning equipment,including a clipper machine, seed de-wingers, adrying cabinet, and a BCC liquid separator andvacuum separator. Once extraction is complete,the seeds are quality tested for germination,moisture contact, and purity. A large walk-infreezer set at -8°C is located under the officewhere the AFSC stores over 3500 kg of seed.

Of course cone production is cyclical andtherefore annual extraction follows the ups anddowns of cone production. Below is a chartillustrating the annual extraction at the AFSCover the past 12 years (Fig 1).

As is illustrated in the chart, 2005 was a verybusy year with over 164 000 L of conesextracted with a yield of almost 2000 kg of seed.Of this amount, 55% was spruce, 27% balsamfir, 11% pine, 6% larch species, and 1%

hemlock/cedar. Our only full time staff at theseed centre, Peter Goodine (with help from ourtree improvement staff), was busy from Octoberuntil the end of June.

In addition to the day-to-day activities, we alsoprovide tours for educational institutions,conferences, and just about anyone that dropsby. So if anyone is ever in the vicinity, pleasefeel free to stop for a tour of the AFSC. Wewould be happy to show you around.

Kathy ToshNB Department of Natural Resources3732 Route 102Island View, NB E3E 1G3E-m ail: Kathy.tosh@gnb.ca

Figure 1. Annual volume of cones extracted at Atlantic Forest Seed Centre.

CONE AND SEED PROCESSING INMANITOBA

Pineland Forest Nursery is the site of the onlyforest seed processing facility in Manitoba.Pineland is located in Hadashville, Manitobawhich is 100 km east of Winnipeg. The facilityprocesses between 3000 and 4000 hL of conesper year for the Province of Manitoba, Tembec(Pine Falls), Louisiana Pacific (Swan River),Tolko Industries (The Pas), and various clientsin Northwestern Ontario. The majority of seedprocessing is black spruce, white spruce, and

jack pine, but also includes smaller volumes ofred pine, white pine, Scots pine, eastern whitecedar, and tamarack.

Originally built in 1964, the facility mostrecently underwent an upgrade in 1997 with theaddition of a large scale dewinger andscreen/sizer purchased from BCC. The additionof the BCC equipment allowed for a largeincrease in processing capacity. This equipment,along with our small scale equipment gives theflexibility that allows us to process cone lots ofany size from under one hL to lots of several

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hundred hL. Pineland also has very smallextracting and cleaning equipment which allowsfor the processing of very small single-batchcone lots such as those required by treeimprovement programs for family tests.

The last decade in Manitoba has seen a shiftfrom the exclusive use of general collection seedto seed from improved sources. Jack pine testingand breeding programs were begun in Manitobain the early 1970’s by the Canadian ForestService and were turned over to provincialmanagement in 1991. These programs havedeveloped to the point where the majority ofjack pine seedlings grown for forestry purposesin the Southeast, Interlake, and Northwestregions of the province are derived from seedorchards established under the program. Thecurrent tree improvement programs for blackand white spruce were initiated by the ManitobaForestry Branch in the late 1980’s with the co-operation of forest companies. A T reeImprovement Trust Account was created in 2000to allow for joint funding of some of theseprograms with the major forest industry partnersin M anitob a (Lou isiana P acific, TolkoIndustries, and Tembec). Several of the spruceorchards have now started producing seed on anoperational level and a transition to improvedspruce seed sources has been taking place overthe last several years in most of the majoroperating areas throughout the province.

Dave FlightManitoba ConservationPineville Forest NurseryPO Box 45Hadashville, MB R0E 0X0E-m ail: Dflight@gov.mb.ca

SEED PROCESSING AT THE CENTRE DESEMENCES FORESTIÈRES OF

BERTHIER

Seed processing began in Québec in 1908, withthe creation of the Pépinière forestière ofBerthier, the first government-owned nursery inQuébec. The present Centre de semencesforestières of Berthier (CSFB, Tree Seed Centre)was inaugurated in 1987. It comprises a forestseed processing plant with a capacity of 15 000hL of cones, one large shed where cones aredried, and three cold storage rooms. A uniquefeature of the plant is that empty cones are

crushed and used for the heating of the SeedCenter and the nursery.

In 1987, Québec’s objective was to produce 300million softwood seedlings per year. Now, weannually reforest around 130 million softwoodseedlings and 1.5 million hardwood seedlings.The annual harvests are between 1000 and 3000hL of conifer cones and around 345 hL ofhardwood seeds. See Table 1 for a summary of2004 seed extraction. Most of the hardwoodseeds are harvested in southern Québec and theharvesting season depends on when the fruitreaches maturity. All the seedlots are sent to theSeed Centre where they undergo processing andtesting. Each year, between March and May,about 440 million seeds are shipped to Québec’snurseries (both public and private).

The major steps of processing softwood seedsare:1) Extracting the seed with 8 tumblers of 10hL capacity each.2) Cleaning the seeds with SwedishHi l leshög equ ip ment (dewinger , l iqu idseperator, seed dryer, seed sizer, and gravityseparator).3) Analyzing the quality of the seeds in thelaboratory (X-rays, water content, purity,number of seeds per kg, germination rate andvigor) .4) Storing the seeds in 20 L plasticcontainers (about 15 kg of seeds) in cold roomsset at -3/C.

For hardwood seeds, processing methods varywith the species. Space does not permitproviding details for each species, but we cansend a description on request.

Improvement of the Extraction Process

During the summer of 2002, we visited the J.D.Irving Tree Seed Centre in Parkindale, NewBrunswick. We noticed that, for the species wehave in common, their germination capacitieswere always higher than ours. In autumn 2002,they extracted part of one of our white spruceseedlots. The germination capacity was 95%while the germination of the same seed lotextracted at our Seed Centre was 87%. As aresult, we began to check our extraction processstep-by-step. Before and after each stage ofextraction, we took a small quantity of seeds.After that, we continued to process these seedsmanually. So, if the germination rate wasreduced, we were able to identify where theseeds were damaged. By this way, we improvedour seed extraction methods. For example,

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Table 1. Cone collection and seed yield in Québec for 2004

Major speciescollected

Cone or seedvolume

(hL)

Improved sources(%)

Mean yield (1000 viable seeds/hL)

Meangermination

(%)

Softwood species

Picea mariana Black spruce

119 100 283* 96

Pinus banksianaJack pine

355 100 161 92

Picea glaucaWhite spruce

430 100 471 93

Pinus strobusEastern white pine

274 99 37 95

Picea abiesNorway spruce

12 97 100 97

Hardwood species

Quercus rubraRed oak

76 0 10 86

Fraxinus americanaWhite ash

25 0 69 56

* This yield is abnormally low. The hypotheses are: poor pollination or late harvest as cones had alreadyopened. The average yield is around 500 000 viable seeds/hL.

average germination increased from 85 to 93%for white spruce, from 93 to 97% for blackspruce, and from 90 to 93% for jack pine.

Our main changes in the extraction processwere.

1) As seeds are extracted from the cones andfall down to the bottom of tumbler, they areperiodically removed to reduce the time they areexposed to heat in the tumbler.2) Depending on the species, dewinging timewas drastically reduced by increasing thequantity of water applied and the rotation speedof the dewinger. For example, it takes now 20 to25 minutes to dewing a batch of 50 L of blackspruce seeds instead of more than 60 minutes for25 L of seeds.3) We removed the two vacuum systems totransfer the seeds from the dryer to the seed sizerand to bring seeds from the seed sizer to thegravity separator because some seeds aredamaged during the transfer.

We also started processing control lots. For eachlot that is extracted, we collect a sample of 2 to 5L of cones. This control is extracted manuallyand gently. The germination capacity of thiscontrol lot becomes the target and is comparedto that of the operationally extracted seedlot. Ifthe control is higher than the seedlot, we checkour process to find what could have been wrong.

Recently, the CSFB laboratory acquired a newX-ray unit (Konica SRX-101A). This apparatusproduces high qual ity radiographs. Theevaluation of the seedlot is more accuratebecause the resolution and the definition areenhanced. High quality radiographs will help usto sort the sound seed and discard the emptyseed for species where the elimination of suchseeds is difficult like hybrid larch and blackcherry.

For more information, see the Québec ministryweb site:http ://www.mrnfp.gouv.qc.ca/english/forest/quebec/quebec-system-management-plants.jsp (inEnglish)http://www.mrnfp.gouv.qc.ca/forets/entreprises/entreprises-semences.jsp (in French, moreexhaustive)

Michèle Bettez1 and Fabienne Colas2

1 Ministère des Ressources naturelles et de laFauneCentre de semences forestières de Berthier1690, chemin Grande-CôteBerthier, QC J0K 1A0E-m ail: Michele.Bettez@mrnf.gouv.qc.ca

2 Ministère des Ressources naturelles et de laFauneDirection de la recherche forestière2700, rue EinsteinSainte-Foy, QC G1P 3W 8

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A PROFILE ABOUT: NOTHINGVENTURED – NOTHING GAINED

The title chosen for the article stimulatesthoughts around visions, ideas, concepts, andprinciples and can serve in demonstratingdifferent horizons that are obtainable by addingsome new twists to old science. Some that dobecome realities and others remain in the mindof the imagineer. This is where our IDS Lab hasits roots. Something that has been steeped byvision in a way that serves and benefits many.Numerous imagineers can be credited with thekinds of seed enhancement processes we offerand make available each operating season toforest companies, nurseries, and Governmentdepartments across the country. Clients comeand go but there is a consistent core group thatincludes enhancement protocols which areintricately part of their greenhouse and nurseryprograms.

Lets go back to the thought surrounding vision,a vision that started with two men Frank Barnardand Tom Hilman at a small seed companylocated in the south central interior of BritishColumbia - Western Tree Seeds. Western TreeSeeds in itself was a project of vision that beganin 1963. IDS applications initiated here in thelate 80's serve as a benchmark that was builtupon. Liaison with top seed physiologists inCanada and Europe provided the solid sciencethat projected the IDS to an operational levelwhich eventually found its way to serving thenursery industry. None the less, the vision thatIDS would be made available in Canada didbecome a reality.

In terms of today, our lab is entering its 10th yearof operation and it has seen steady growthduring that time. We annually process 350 to400 kg of seed each operating season. It’s asharing place and a place where folks can comefor help with a wide range of seed concerns andother concerns that aren’t even remotely relatedto seed. Scientific principles/protocols provide astrong backbone for the enhancement processes,even though in some ways, applications andavenues of implementing the science can take an“off the wall” approach. It’s paramount to “thinkout of the box” when hurtles present themselves.

Seed is a resource that has been created anddesigned. Understanding how it functions can goa long way in ending up with good resultsnecessary to transform this small bit of biologyinto a towering tree. This response is clever as itensures metabolic activity is sequentiallyaddressed as the germination process kicks intogear. The ability of living organisms to

reorganize, reproduce, and regenerate hasastonished all of us since ancient times.

Water separation techniques that are applied toprocessed seed, remove physically damagedseed, heavy deb ris, l ight debris, anddead/empty/partially filled seed which makenotable improvements to the vigour andgermination capacity of the seed within theseedlot. This enhancement process benefits seedconservation and seeding efficiency.

Water processes are more directly advantageousfor enhancing seedlot quality. Seed shapedynamics are minimized and water separationsare solely the effect of density differentials. Airand water separation techniques are notcomparable. Each approach has a very importantplace along the way in op timizing thereproductive capability of the seed.

Our upgrading techniques are focused onutilizing the combined effects of :1) PREVAC (pressure vacuum)2) IDS (Incubation, Drying, Separation)3) Seed Moisture Management

Specific biological principles and attention todetail for each of these segments is integral andthe cornerstone in achieving successful results.Tracking moisture con tent in itially andthroughout the processes is important and alsovery interesting to follow. All steps throughoutthe upgrading process are pieces of a puzzle andat the days end can provide an interpretivepicture of what actually occurred in relating howthe upgrading techniques played out.

Fact demonstrates that most of the species andthe corresponding seedlots treated through theseupgrading procedures and protocols have verypositive results and enable nurseries to utilizesingle sow applications. A small number of themany seedlo ts treated annu ally respondnegatively to the processes for undeterminedreasons.

It is very interesting to observe the varyingcharacteristics and to try to hypothesize thequestion of “WHY ”. Many thoughts can cometo mind depending on individual seedlotinformation and circumstances. Questions like:1) Degrees of dormancy vs. incubationperiod - enough or not enough.2) A c c u ra c y o f in i ti a l germ inatio ninformation provided.3) Path ogen ic problems and correctivemeasures taken.4) Adequate moisture levels - too much ornot enough.

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5) Inhibitory effects attributed to decreasedwater permeability (Baron 1978, Downie 1999).6) D e c r e a sed oxygen permeab i l i ty(Koslowski and Gentile 1959, Downie 1999).7) Restriction of expansion of themegagametophyte and embryo (Asakawa 1956),(Downie 1999).

As difficult as it may be, the best any one of uscan do when u tilizing upgrade techniques is to“Read The Seed”. Read the seed to the best ofyour ability to gain an intimate understanding ofwhat’s happening biologically. Some speciestend to be very open to interpretation whileothers are very discrete and subtle. Reading theseed and understanding what is in front of you isyour key to unlocking a multitude of designsecrets. “Follow and Observe Nature and you’llfind the Common Elements”. Treat theupgrading task as a challenge and have fun withit.

This article is structured to demonstrate theimportance of vision and imagination. Don’tever be afraid to dream and venture out. We’vepresented some practical and operationalapproaches with the intent of sharing somehandy tricks and tips that you may find useful.Equipment used in our operation has evolvedthrough a combination of vision/imagination andnecessity, the mother of all invention.

Some new direction is on the horizon for us hereas Wendy and I are about to become first timeGrandparents in early December 2005. Also, inJanuary 2006, Mike Long of Haveman BrothersForestry Services from Kakabeka Falls, Ontariowill join us with some innovative researchproject work as well as assisting with the day today IDS applications.

If there is something causing you concern,please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Merry Christmas to all and enjoy the Peace ofthe Season (((( .

Wendy and Kim CreaseyNature’s Common ElementsPO Box 29003Barrie, ON L4N 7W7Tel: 705-323-9098E-m ail: nces@look.ca

SEED PROCESSING AT THE NATIONALTREE SEED CENTRE

The National Tree Seed Centre (NTSC)collects, obtains, stores, and provides seed fromCanadian tree and shrub species of known originfor use in research. M ore recently the NTSCmandate has been expanded to includecollections of seed from species and populationsthat are unique or that may be considered at riskand storing them for gene conservationpurposes. All seed collected is from naturalpopulations. The quantities of seed collected aresmall compared to those made for reforestation.The ultimate goal of the NTSC is to acquire seedfrom across the range of Canadian tree andshrub species.

Most of the collections are from individual treesrather than bulk collections made up of manytrees. Data from seed collected from individualtrees collected at the same time from the samesite and processed and stored under identicalconditions indicate that seed from these treessometimes stores quite differently. This suggeststhat there is a difference in the quality of theseed from individual trees. A bulk collectionmade from such a population could result in amediocre seed lot after a number of years instorage as a result of seed from the various treesdecreasing in quality at different rates. Bymaking collections from individual trees it ispossible to monitor the quality over time anddiscard seed lots that are no longer good.

Conifer seeds are usually collected between latesummer and late fall. Crops are assessed to makesure the seed is ripe. Care of the cones begins inthe field. Rough handling and overheating ofgreen cones could cause serious damage to theseed. When the cones are brought in from thefield they are laid on screen trays or left inburlap bags and laid on racks and placed in awell ventilated area. This allows the cones to dryand open. The cones are checked periodicallyand stirred or the bags turned to promoteuniform drying of the cones. They remain in thedrying area until early winter when they arebrought inside for processing.

All opened cones are placed in a small rotatingscreen drum (squirrel cage) and tumbled forseveral minutes to dislodge the seed from thecones. No heat is applied during this process.The winged seed as well as any debris(powdered pitch, dry pitch, scales, etc.) areplaced in a labelled paper bag. Cones that fail toopen are soaked in warm water for 2 – 3 hoursand placed in a forced air oven at 30°C for 24hours or until they have opened. They are thentumbled a second time. The winged seed are

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then sieved to remove the small and large debrisand then rubbed in cloth bags to de-wing theseed. Water is added to spruce seed to facilitateremoval of the wing. The wetted seed and wingsare then laid out to dry on screen trays for 24hours. Pine species are usually dry rubbed.Larch, fir, and hemlock seed are also dry rubbedbut the rubbing must not be too aggressivebecause of the risk of rupturing resin vesiclesthat are on the outside of the seed coat. Oncerubbing is complete, the wings and debris aresieved and then cleaned using an air aspirator.Seed of cedar species are not de-winged.

Cleaning and processing of hardwood and shrubseed presents some unique challenges. Seed ofBetula and Alnus spp. have small wings that takeup a lot of space in storage. Seed set is alsosometimes poor with germination of uncleanedseed falling below 10%. After collection, seed isplaced in a drying area until it is ready forprocessing. Catkins of white and grey birch arecrushed and sieved or blown to separate thebracts from the winged seed. Seed from yellowbirch and Alnus are tumbled to dislodge the seedand then sieved or blown. The seed is thenplaced in cloth bags and rubbed lightly to de-wing the seed. This may have to be repeated 2 –3 times until the wings are completely brokenoff. A fine sieve is used between each rubbingbecause the wings become a fine powder. Oncerubbing is complete the seed are blown lightlyand sieved to remove any bracts that might stillbe present. Alcohol separation will remove mostremaining empty seed as these will float whilethe filled seed sink and are recovered. The seedmust then be rinsed in running tap water for 15seconds and laid to dry. This process greatlyincreases the quality of the seedlot anddramatically reduces storage volume.

Populus and Salix catkins are collected whenthey have started to shed or are just about to startand are brought directly into the lab for drying.They are laid on large screen trays and coveredwith another screen tray to prevent cross-contamination. The trays are placed in a roomwith a dehumidifier. This is essential as relativehumidity is usually high in late May – early Junewhen the catkins are collected. The catkins areallowed to dry for 1–2 days. The partiallyopened catkins are then placed in a squirrel cagetumbler covered with fine screen that will allowthe seed to pass through. The catkins are thentumbled wh ile warm air (hair dryer)supplemented with a strong air flow (reverse airflow on a vacuum) is blown on them. Thecombination of warm air and the rotation of thedrum opens the catkins and the dried seed fallthrough the screen and are collected in thedrawer below. Seed are then processed and

stored as quickly as possible as they quickly losetheir viability if not frozen.

Seed of Acer, are also dry rubbed to remove thewing and then sieved and blown in an airaspirator. De-winging of Acer seed serves twopurposes. First it reduces the storage volume andsecondly half of the seed of some Acer species(e.g., Acer saccharum) are empty and impossibleto remove unless the wing is removed.

The fleshy exterior of the fruit from many shrubspecies (Prunus, Cornus, Viburnum, Sorbus,Crataegus) is removed by placing them in ablender (dulled blades), or milk shake mixer andmacerating the fleshy fruit. The blender is usedfor the harder seed (Crataegus, Prunus) while amilk shake mixer is used for seed with a lessdurable seed coat. Once macerated, the seed arerinsed in flowing water. The pulp and emptyseed float and are easily removed. The seed arethen laid to dry and blown to remove any seedthat may have been broken in the process.

Once the mechanical processing is complete, theseed are cleaned manually to remove anyremaining debris, broken or insect damagedseed. Moisture content is determined for all seedlots. Two samples of approximately 2 g each areplaced in small containers and dried for 16 hoursat 103°C. After drying the seed are placed in adesiccator and allowed to cool. They are thenweighed and the moisture content calculated.Moisture contents between 5 – 8% are targeted.Seed with moisture contents greater than 8% aredried further until the target moisture content isachieved. During winter, the lab is maintained at22°C and 20 % relative humidity. Under theseconditions, seed from most species will dry toabout 6% moisture content. Once moisturecontent is within the accepted range, 1000-seedweight is determined by weighing 8 replicates of100 seed each and the 1000-seed weightcalculated.

The seed is finally tested for germination.Because of the small quantities of seed, 4replicates of 50 seed each are used. Seed arestored in hermetically sealed glass jars andplaced in a walk-in freezer at -20°C. Smallerseed lots are placed in plastic vials and then putinto glass jars. This allows for several seed lotsin the same jar which maximizes storage space.

Data in the NTSC database show that seed frommost conifer and hardwood species can besuccessfully stored for several decades with verylittle loss in germination and vigour. This is veryimportant since seed used for research and geneconservation may not be used for many years.NTSC staff make between 100 and 500

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collections each year (depending on seed crop).The NTSC has over 12 000 seed lots in storage.

Bernard DaigleNatural Resources CanadaCanadian Forest ServiceAtlantic Forestry CentreP.O. Box 4000Fredericton, NB E3B 5P7E-m ail: bdaigle@nrcan.gc.ca

RESIN VESICLES IN CONIFER SEEDS

The term resin vesicles (or resin cavities) iscom mo nly un ders tood in co nifer seedtechnology, but it is amazing how little is knownabout these structures. This is surprisingconsidering the influence these structures canhave on successful germination. This articleattempts to summarize the known literature ofresin vesicles in conifers. I would appreciateknowing of any additional documentation.

Resin vesicles are found within seeds of thefollowing genera in the Pinaceae: Abies, Cedrus,Keteleeria , Nothotsuga, Pseudolarix and Tsuga(Frankis 1988) and within the genera Libocedrus(Schopmeyer 1974) and Thuja in th eCupressaceae. Within the Pinaceae, those generabearing resin vesicles diverged from those notbearing resin vesicles quite early in evolutionaryhistory (Wang et al. 2000). Singh (1978)discusses the “differentiation of mucilage canals(cycads) or resin ducts (in conifers)” in thesection on development of the seed coatproviding a hint to the origin of these structures.The occurrence of resin vesicles in Thuja is notwell documented!

The resin vesicles in Abies spp. appear todifferentiate at the young archegonial stages inAbies grandis (Singh and Owens 1982); duringthe last stages of female gametophytedevelopment in Abies amabilis (Owens andMolder 1977); and soon after fertilization inAbies lasiocarpa (Singh and Owens 1981). Thevesicles consist of an oblong cavity surroundedby a layer of epithelial cells described as richlyprotoplasmic. The enlargement of the resincavities causes depressions on the surface of thefemale gametophyte (Singh and Owens 1982;personal observation). This depression causes adisplacement of nutritive tissue and althoughthe role of resin vesicles is not understood – thistradeoff in potential energy indicates it must

have an important role in the success of thespecies that possess them.

The resin arising from other parts of the tree hasbeen studied more fully than resin from seeds.This trend will probably continue as moreinformation is gained on the role of terpenoidsfrom resin and how to induce traumatic resindefenses against herbivores and pathogens (i.e.Faldt et al. 2003). Hopefully this will alsoincrease our knowledge on resin vesicles andtheir role in conifer seed. For those reallylooking for more on resin a new book entitled“Plant Resins: Chemistry, Ecology andEthnobotany” by Jean H. Langenheim waspublished in 2003. Reference to a review of thisbook by Gershenzon (2003) is included for thosewishing to explore the subject further.

Resin is considered “a lipid-soluble mixture ofvolatile and non -volatile terpenes and /orsecondary compounds that are secreted inspecialized structures” (Langenheim 2003). Theamount of resin in Abies alba has beendocumented as up to about 20% of the freshmass of seeds with monoterpenes accounting for90% of the total volume of volatile terpenes.The monoterpenes have been studied and themain components and their [ranges] are:limonene [60 – 90%]; á-pinene [5 – 30%]; Ä-3-carene [3 – 4%], and â-pinene [1 – 2%] (Èermák1987). During storage for 24 months at 1 – 3º Cthe monoterpene composition changed with á-pinene decreasing and Ä-3-carene decreasing(Èermák and Penka 1978).

The most detailed studies were done by Èermák( 1 9 8 7 ) w ho looked a t variab il i ty inmonoterpenes between and within trees and inrelation to the position of the resin vesicles onthe seed surface. Differences between trees weresignificant, but cones from the same treediffered only slightly. There was actually greatervariability between different resin vesicles onthe same seed compared to different cones (ifthe same resin vesicles are compared). Theseresults indicate the importance of clearlydefining the location of resin vesicles in furtherstudies. Èermák (1987) determined the resinvesicles closest (abaxial) and furthest (adaxial)from the ovuliferous scale had quite differentproportions of á-pinene, â-pinene and limoneneforming a gradient around the seed. Nodifferences between resin vesicles were notedfor Ä-3-carene.

The reduced germination from seedlots withdamaged resin vesicles is well-known and hasbeen duplicated through puncturing resinvesicles or dipping the seed in the resin (Guniaand Simak 1968, Kitzmiller et al. 1973,

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Kitzmiller et al. 1975). The resin has also beenshown to be inhibitory to germination of pineand spruce (Rohmeder 1951). It is especiallyinteresting that if resin vesicles were damagedfollowing stratification (vs. before) that thedecrease in germination was not as great (Guniaand Simak 1968, Kitzmiller et al. 1973) and thatdamaged seed performed better than undamagedseed without prechilling (Kitzmiller et al. 1975).Interesting findings on a few seedlots andsurprising that no follow-up studies have beendone in this area.

A question that many BC nurseries are asking iswhether there is a good seed sanitation methodfor Abies spp. Some early work with hydrogenperoxide indicated that the proportion of fungion the seed coat could be reduced with hydrogenperoxide, but in general (one exception) adecline in germination was found (Edwards andSutherland 1979). A trial was conductedinvolving seedlots [# in brackets] of Abiesamabilis [6], A. lasiocarpa [2], and Abiesgrandis [2] that were exposed to 3% hydrogenperoxide for 0.5, 2, and 4 hours after soakingand to a 2-hour treatment performed prior tosoaking. Data were collected on resin vesicledamage, germination capacity, and incidence ofFusarium sp. and Calosypha fulgens. The resultsoverwhelmingly showed the individual seedlotaccounted for the greatest proportion ofvariation in germination capacity (83%), resinvesicle damage (78%), Fusarium contamination(85% ), and Caloscypha fulgens infection 86%.In Amabilis fir a significant increase in resinvesicle damage was found by extending thesanitation treatment from 0.5 to 4 hours with adecrease in germination from 72 to 66% (notstatistica lly significant) (Kolotelo 2001).Growers are currently cautioned against the useof hydrogen peroxide on resin vesicle speciesdue to the uncertainty of the practice. Somegrowers have succesfully used hydrogenperoxide to sanitize Abies spp., but others havehad very poor results from the practice. The useof running water soaks to reduce pathogen loadsis considered the best alternative at this time.This can help with Fusarium which is borne onthe seed coat, but it would have no impact onCaloscypha fulgens which infects and kills theseed. There is still lots of work that needs to bedone on this issue, but work on Abies spp. ingeneral does not rate very high in manyjurisdictions today.

Several theories have been proposed for the roleof resin vesicles. Based on the fact that damagedseed without a prechill germinates better thanundamaged seed without a prechill, it washypothesized that seedcoat dormancy is animportant factor and that resin vesicle damage

was possibly a form of scarification (Kitzmilleret al. 1975). There may be a relationship, butundamaged and stratified seed obtained thehighest germination in all studies referred tohere. It was also suggested that the resin vesicleswere involved in dormancy and preventedgermination in the same year as seed dispersal(Rohmeder 1951) and that the resin provides alayer of protection preventing excessive dryingof the embryo and megagametophyte (Gunia andSimak 1968). Still lots of mystery regardingresin vesicles and their roles in conifer seeds.Hopefully this has brought some of the literatureto people’s attention and maybe someone wouldbe interested into looking at some of theseunanswered or unasked questions. I haveconnections for seed if anyone is interested. (

References

Èermák, J . 1987. Monoterpene hydrocarboncontents of the resin from seeds of silverfir (Abies alba Mill.). Trees 1: 94–101.

Èermák, J.; Penka, M. 1978. Quantitativevariation of monoterpene hydrocarboncomposition in resin from Abies albaMill. seeds during their longtermstorage. Biologia (Bratislava) 33:565–572.

Edwards, D.G.W.; Sutherland, J.R. 1979.Hydrogen peroxide treatment of Abiesseeds. Environ. Can., Can. For Serv., Bi-month. Res. Notes 35(1): 3–4.

Faldt, J.; Martin, D.; Miller, B.; Rawat, S.;Bohlmann, J. 2003. Traumatic resindefenses in Norway spruce (Piceaab ies): m e th yl ja sm onate-inducedterpene synthase gene expression, andc D NA c lon in g a n d f u n c t i o n alcharacterization of (+) -3-carenesynthesis. Plant Mol. Biol. 51: 119–133.

Frankis, M.P. 1988. Generic inter-relationshipsin Pinaceae. Notes Royal Bot. Garden,Edinburgh 45(3): 527–548.

Gershenzon, J. 2003. Book Review. PlantResins: Ch emistry, Ecology andEthnobotany by Jean H. Langenheim.Timber Press, Portland. J. Chem Ecol.29: 2777–2779.

Gunia, S.; Simak, M. 1970. Effect of damagingresin vesicles in the seed coat on thegermination of silver fir (Abies albaMill.) seeds. Pages 79–83. In Proc. Int.

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Symp. Seed Physiology of WoodyPlants. 3–8 Sep. 1968, Kornik, Poland.

Kitzmiller, J.H.; Battigan, J.M.; Helms, J.A.1973. Effect of resin vesicle damage ongermination of stored Abies concolorseed. True Fir Manage. Co-Op., Int.Rep. 1. 16 p.

Kitzmiller, J.H.; Helms, J.A.; Stover, P. 1975.Influence of seed treatm ent ongermination of Abies con colo r and A.magnifica. True Fir Manage. Co-Op.,Int. Rep. 3. 39 p.

Kolotelo, D. 2001. Seed sanitation methodologyfor Amabilis fir. Pages 63–64. In ForestGenetics Council of BC Tree Imp. Prog.Project Rep. 2001/2002.

Langenheim, J.H. 2003. Plant Resins:Chemistry, Ecology and Ethnobotany.Timber Press, Portland.

Owens, J.N.; Molder, M. 1977. Sexualreproduction of Abies amabilis. Can. J.Bot. 55: 2653–2667.

R o h m e d e r , E . 1 9 5 1 . B e i t ra g e z u rKeimungsphysiologie der Forstpflanzen.Bayer. Landwirtschaftsvarlag, Munchen(cited in Gunia and Simak1968)

Schopmeyer, C.S. 1974. Seeds of wood plants inthe United States. USDA, For. Serv.,Washington, DC, Agric. Hndbk. No.450. 883 p.

Singh, H. 1978. Embryology of gymnosperms.Gebrûder Borntraeger, Berlin, Stuttgart.

Singh, H.; Owens, J.N. 1981. Sexualreproduction in subalpine fir (Abieslasiocarpa). Can. J. Bot. 59: 2650–2666.

Singh, H.; Owens, J.N. 1982. Sexualreprodu ction in grand fir (Abiesgrandis). Can. J. Bot. 60: 2197–2214.

Wang, X-Q.; Tank, D.C.; Sang, T. 2000.Phylogeny and divergence times inPinaceae: Evidence from three genomes.Mol. Biol. Evol. 17(50): 773–781.

Dave KoloteloBC Ministry of Forests and RangeTree Seed Centre18793 - 32nd AvenueSurrey, BC V4P 1M5Tel: (604) 541-1683 x 228E-m ail: Dave.Kolotelo@gems7.gov.bc.ca

NEWFOUNDLAND’S FIRST MAJORWHITE SPRUCE ORCHARD CONE

COLLECTION

Over a decade was spent combing the wilds ofNewfoundland in search of white spruce plustrees. In 1994, many copies of each of thechosen candidate trees were established in aclonal orchard. In 2005, this orchard produced abumper cone crop. With an effective frost andinsect control program, virtually 100% of thecones were harvested. The yield was 19 000 Lfrom 1 900 trees. The seed collection and seedextraction (yet to start) will be by clone. Overthe next few years progeny test data will allowblending of seed to create better than averageorchard seedlots yielding additional geneticgains.

Unproportional seed production has beendescribed in the literature by a 20:80 rule where20% of the clones produce 80% of the seed. Is itthe experience that this rule is followed in clonalwhite spruce orchards? In this harvest, 20% ofthe clones contributed only 27% of the cones!Over 60% of all clones were required to makeup 80% of the cones. At this point there is noreason to expect seed yield to skew these ratiossignificantly. This bodes well for the geneticdiversity of this orchard lot.

Being new to the seed production business, thereis a thirst for the understanding of the geneticdifferences among clones. Thus severalexperiments were initiated. One surprise wasthat one clone shed its seed at 1100 growingdegree days (GDD) while another held on until1400 GDD.

Having had modest amounts of 1st generationwhite spruce seed available for seedlingproduction over the past few years has hinted ofgreat expectations of future volume gains. Incomparison to most wild seed collections, theorchard lots have germinated better and theseedlings grew larger with more cropuniformity. The observed difference in specificcrosses sown in the greenhouses has beenphenomenal and again holds promise for thefuture.

Barry LinehanDepartment of Natural ResourcesWooddale Provincial Tree NurseryP.O. Box 616Grand Falls-Windsor, NL A2A 2K2E-m ail: aoram@wooddaletree.nf.ca

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SILVA ENTERPRISES LTD.

Silva Enterprises Ltd. was started in 1965 byFinnish immigrant and BC Forester RolfHellenius, at the request of Swedish and FinnishForesters that required good quality seed andpollen from British Columbia and the Yukon.The company has remained a family business,currently managed by Peter Hellenius. We nowprovide indigenous and imported forest tree seedfor Canadian companies and export OECDcertified forest tree seed to companies inScandinavia, Europe, and the United States. Aswell we handle custom seed extraction, cleaning,lab services, and cone/seed consultations andevaluations for domestic companies. Telephoneand/or fax consultations are provided at nocharge or obligation to use our services.

Peter and Linda HelleniusSilva Enterprises Ltd.PO Box 2888 Station BPrince George, BC V2N 4T7E-mail: hellenius.silva@telus.net

NATIONAL TREE SEED CENTRE

The fruit and seed crop was not good on mostspecies in the Maritimes in 2005. Seed from redmaple (Acer rubrum) and fruit from pin cherry(Prunus pensylvanica) was collected. Seed andfruit from these species was also collected forthe Seed Centre by the NewfoundlandDepartment of Natural Resources. We aregrateful for these donations. Choke cherry(Prunus virginiana var. virginiana) fruit wasalso collected at Chicoutimi, Québec. ThesePrunus collections are being made as part ofrange-wide collections for an agroforestryproject being conducted by Bill Schroeder atAgriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s IndianHead Nursery in Saskatchewan. One surprisethis year was a seed crop on black ash (Fraxinusnigra) because there was quite good productionin 2004 on some sites. Therefore, single-treecollections were made at three locations innorthern New Brunswick, one location in theGaspé region of Québec, and a partial collectionalong the Saguenay River in Québec. Thesecollections will supplement those made in 2004as part of a project to conserve ash germplasmbefore it is destroyed by the Emerald Ash Borerand to allow for the evaluation of geneticvariation within black ash.

When the Seed Centre was located at the formerPetawawa National Forestry Institute it storedseed for researchers of the tree breedingprogram. A significant portion of these seedlotsare left over after the establishment of range-wide provenance trials. As time and personnelresources permit, seed is germination tested.Testing has been completed for white spruce(Picea glauca) and black spruce (P. mariana).This past summer, work focussed on jack pine(Pinus banksiana) with the testing of over 800seedlots. These had been last tested in 1986.Seed remained from 57 seedlots representingprovenances test e d in th e ran ge-w ideprovenance trials established in the mid 1960s.Much of this seed had been collected in the1950s. Germination ranged between 0.1 and96% and averaged 61% for these older seedlots.The majority of the remaining seed (689seedlots) had been collected in the 1960s, 1970sand 1980s. Germination averaged 89%. Over300 seed lots were collected in 1977 and 1978and germination of this 27- and 28-year-old seedaveraged 94%. The decline in germination fromwhen the last test was done (20 years ago) wasvery small. These results clearly demonstrate thelong-term storage potential of jack pine seedparticularly when one considers that these olderseed had not always been stored at optimalconditions.

Dale Sim pson and Bernard DaigleNatural Resources CanadaCanadian Forest ServiceAtlantic Forestry CentreP.O. Box 4000Fredericton, NB E3B 5P7E-mail: dsimpson@nrcan.gc.ca

DEVELOPMENT OF BIOLOGICALCONTROL METHODS AGAINST SEED

ORCHARD INSECT PESTS

Seed orchards are favorable sites for theestablishment and development of insect pestpopulations. These pests can attack cones andseeds which leads to a significant reduction ofharvested seeds used for the production ofgenetically improved seedlings. Since 1999,concerted efforts from many researchers allowedthe development of biological control methodsagainst some of the most important pests. Moreparticularly, the Entomopathogen ResearchLaboratory of Dr. Claude Guertin directed itsresearch activity on the development of

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biological control tools against cone and seedinsects in order to limit damage caused by thesepests.

Fir Coneworm and Spruce Cone Maggot:Control Methods Oriented on the Use ofEntomopathogens

The fir coneworm (Dioryctria abietivorella) isan insect that causes important damage in whitespruce seed orchards of many Canadianprovinces. In collaboration with Fabienne Colas(Ministères des resources naturelles et de lafaune du Québec), we developed an applicationprotocol for the use of Bacillus thuringiensisvar. kurstaki (Btk) to control fir conewormpopulations in seed orchards. The objectives ofthis project were: 1) to evaluate the effect ofmultiple applications of Btk on D. abietivorellamortality, and 2) to determine the appropriateapplication rate in order to obtain satisfyinglevels of cone protection. This study allowed usto demonstrate that 3 Btk applications on aweekly basis, once D. abietivorella larvae arefound in cones, can lead to a significantreduction in cone damage. The study showedthat trees that were treated 3 times with Btk had21% of their cones damaged compared to 46%in the control plot. A rate of 1 L/ha was used toobtain these results.

The spruce cone maggot (Strobilomyianeantracina) is the most important cone andseed pest of spruce seed orchards. Its main hostis white spruce, but this insect can also attackcones of other North American spruce species,in particular black spruce. Research studies wereconducted over the last years investigating theinsectidal potential of Beauveria bassiana forthe control of this pest. During preliminarystudies, the screening of different isolatesallowed us to identify a very effective one withvery good mortality rates. With a dose of 1.0 x107 conidia/ml, it was possible to achieve 98%larval mortality after an experimental period ofonly 6 days. Even if larvae were undergoingmetamorphosis into pupae after a B. bassianatreatment, histological observations revealedthey were moribund and that they would notreach the adult stage. Other projects are inprogress in order to determine the efficacy ofsoil application of B. bassiana on pupa and adultmortality after winter diapause.

White Pine Cone Beetle and Spruce SeedMoth: Control Methods Oriented on the Useof Sex Pheromone

The white pine cone beetle (Conophthorusconiperda) is a threat to cone crops in white pineseed orchards in Québec and in many otherprovinces in Canada. The use of a sexpheromone in a mating disruption device wastested in order to verify the effect of this controlmethod on cone protection. Dr. Peter de Grootcontributed, over the last ten years, to theidentification and the development of thesynthetic pheromone of C. coniperda, the (+)-t r a n s -p i t y o l, ( 2 R ,S) -(+) -2-(1 -hyd rox y-1 -methylethyl)-5-methyltetrahydrofuran (hereaftercalled pityol). In collaboration with Dr. deGroot, we conducted an experiment in order toevaluate the potential of mating disruption in awhite pine seed orchard at St-Amable, QC,where control and treated plots were established.At the end of the first year of the study, 80% ofcones were intact in the pheromone-treated plotcompared to 14% in the control plot located 100m west. After two years, an average reduction of63% of cone damage was obtained in thepheromone-treated plot compared to the controlplot. A minimum density of 10 pytiol bubblecaps per hectare is required in order to reach asignificant level of cone protection (Trudel et al.2004).

The spruce seed moth (Cydia strobilella) is alsoanother important seed orchard pest. This insectis mainly found on white spruce, but it can alsoattack other spruce species, such as black spruce.During a previous experiment, Dr. Gary Grantand his collaborators were able to identify anddevelop the synthetic sex pheromone of C.strobilella (E8-12 :Ac). The efficacy of thesynthetic pheromone was tested in the laboratoryusing electroantenographic tests and also in thefield with monitoring sticky traps, during themating period. With the collaboration of Dr.Grant, we documented the potential of matingdisruption for the control of C. strobiella in awhite spruce seed orchard at Wendover, QC.Sixty septa per hectare were hung in the treatedplot, and then 4 monitoring traps baited with E8-12 :Ac (3µg/septa) were placed in thepheromone-treated plot and 4 others in thecontrol plot. Two weeks later, an average of 27C. strobilella males per trap were counted in thetreated zone compared to an average of 453males per trap in the control plot. In addition,51% of the cones were damaged in the controlplot compared to 22% in the pheromone-treatedplot. After a two year experiment, an averagereduction of 62.1% of cone damage wasobta ined in the ph erom one-treated plotcompared to the control plot (Trudel et al. 2006,in review).

Financial support for these research studiescame from la Direction de la production des

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semences et des plants du Ministère desressources naturelles et de la faune du Québec,Fond québécois de la recherche sur la nature etles technologies (FQRNT), and INRS – InstitutArmand-Frappier. For more information onthese research projects, please contact RichardTrudel.

Trudel, R.; Guertin, C.; de Groot, P. 2004. Useof pityol to reduce damage by the whitep i n e c o n e b e e t l e ,C o n o p h t h o r u sconiperda (Col., Scolytidae) in seedorchards. J. Appl. Ent. 128: 403–406.

Trudel, R.; Guertin, C.; Grant, G.G. 2006.Potential for mating disruption to reducecone damage by the spruce seed moth,Cydia strobilella (Lep., Tortricidae), inspruce seed orchards. J. Appl. Ent. (inreview)

Richard Trudel and Claude GuertinINRS – Institut Armand-FrappierL a b o r a t o i r e d e r e c h e r c h e su r l e sentomopathogènesLaval, QC H7V 1B7E-mail: richtrudel@nrcan.gc.ca

Peter de Groot and Gary GrantNatural Resources CanadaCanadian Forest ServiceSault Ste. Marie, ON P6A 2E5

Fabienne ColasMinistère des Ressources naturelles et de lafauneDirection de la recherche forestièreSainte-Foy, QC G1P 3W 8

WEB SITE UPDATES

A recent e-mail from Frank Bonner confirmsthat work is progressing well on the printedversion of “Seeds of Woody Plants of the UnitedStates.” Frank expects to be finished with thesecond review of the galleys in January and thebook will go to press shortly thereafter. Fivechapters and all the genera can be viewed bygoing to the National Seed Laboratory’s website http://www.nsl.fs.fed.us/ , following the linkto the Seed Technology Centre - Publicationspage, and clicking on Woody Plant SeedManual.

The BC Tree Seed Centre has a new web site asa result of a recent renaming of the M inistry toMinistry of Forests and Range. The SeedCentre’s home page can now be found by goingt o http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hti/treeseedcentre/index.htm.

IUFRO TREE SEED SYMPOSIUM

The Tree Seed Physiology and TechnologyWorking Group 2.09.00 of the InternationalUnion of Forestry Research Organizations willhold its next symposium July 18 – 21, 2006 inFredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. The SeedPhysiology and Technology Working Group isan open group and welcomes all interestedpeople to attend.

The theme of the symposium is “RecentAdvances in Seed Physiology and Technology”and the goal is to discuss forest tree seedproblems and their solutions, and for theexchange of information on all aspects of foresttree seed physiology and biotechnology.

This meeting will be held just prior to the TreeSeed Working Group W orkshop (July 24, 2006)and the Canadian Tree Improvement Association(CTIA) meeting (July 24-29) in Charlottetown,Prince Edward Island. Transportation will beprovided for those wishing to attend thesemeetings.

F o r fu r the r i nfo rma tion e-m ai l : c f s -IUFRO@nrcan.gc.ca

NEW CONE AND SEED INSECT ANDDISEASE RESEARCH PROGRAM IN BC

MINISTRY OF FORESTS

A new research program dedicated to cone andseed pest management issues has been createdwithin the Research Branch of the BritishColumbia Ministry of Forests and Range (MoF).Located at the Kalamalka Forestry Centre inVernon, this program takes over from where theCanadian Forest Service left off nearly twodecades ago. Operation of the program isfunded by the provincial Forest InvestmentAccount with the guidance of research plan

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priorities identified by the Forest GeneticsCouncil of BC (FGC). Dr. Ward Strong,previously the MoF’s Cone and Seed PestManagement Biologist, will assume leadershipof the program in January 2006. He will workclosely with the FGC’s Pest ManagementTechnical Advisory Committee (PM TAC) and awide range of research partners to ensure thatthe research plan evolves and important coneand seed pest management research issues areaddressed. For further information about coneand seed pest management research in BritishC o l u m b i a , c o n t a c t W a r d a tWard.Strong@gov.bc.ca or the Chair of the PMTAC, Dr. Robb Bennett.

Robb BennettBC Ministry of Forests and Range7380 Puckle RoadSaanichton, BC V8M 1W 4E-m ail: Robb.Bennett@gov.bc.ca

UPCOMING MEETINGS

ISTA Annual MeetingJune 26–29, 2006 Zurich, Switzerlandwww.seedtest.org

IUFRO Seed Physiology and TechnologyJuly 19–22, 2006 Fredericton, NBcfs-IUFRO@nrcan.gc.ca

30th Canadian Tree Improvement AssociationJuly 24–29, 2006 Charlottetown, PEIhttp://www.gov.ns.ca/natr/forestry/ctia/

Seed Ecology IISeptember 9–13, 2007 Perth, Western Australiawww.seedecology2007.com.au

Carrefour de la recherche forestièreSeptember 19–20, 2007 Québec City, QChttp://www.mrn.gouv.qc.ca/carrefour/

IUFRO Larix SymposiumSeptember 16–21, 2007 Québec City, QChttp://www.mrn.gouv.qc.ca/carrefour/larix.asp

Canadian Poplar CouncilSeptember 16–21, 2007 Québec City, QChttp://www.mrn.gouv.qc.ca/carrefour/populus.asp

28th ISTA CongressMay 5-11, 2007 Iguassu Falls, Brazilwww.seedtest.org

SELECTED REFERENCES

Cone Processing

Carmichael, A.J. 1958. Determination of themaximum air temperature tolerated byred pine, jack pine, white spruce andblack spruce at low relative humidities.For. Chron. 34: 387–392.

Fleming, R.L.; Haavisto, V.F. 1986. A case forimproving the effic iency of seedextraction from black spruce (Piceamariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) cones. TreePlant. Notes 37(4): 7–11.

Hellum, A.K.; Barker, N.A. 1980. Conemoisture content influences seed releasein lodgepole pine. Can. J. For. Res. 10:239–244.

Hellum, A.K.; Barker, N.A. 1981. Therelationship of lodgepole pine cone ageand seed extractability. For. Sci. 27:62–70.

Hellum, A.K.; Pelchat, M. 1979. Temperatureand time affect the release and quality ofseed from cones of lodgepole pine fromAlberta. Can. J. For. Res. 9: 154–159.

Wang, B.S.P.; Downie, B.; Wetzel, S.;Palamarek, D.; Hamilton, R. 1992.Effe c ts o f co n e sc o r c h i n g ongerminability, and vigour of lodgepolepine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia) seedsin Alberta. Seed Sci. Technol. 20:409–419.

Seed Processing

Baldwin, H.I. 1932. Alcohol separation of emptyseed and its effect on the germination ofred spruce. Am. J. Bot. 19: 1–11.

Edwards, D.G.W. 1981. Cone collection andprocessing – Effects on seed quality andyield. Pages 12–37. In R.F. Huber,comp. Proc. High-quality Collection andProduction of Conifer Seed. Environ.Can., Can. For. Serv., North. For. Res.Cent., Inform. Rept. NOR-X-235, 88 p.

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Fung, M.Y.P.; Hamel, B.A. 1993. Aspen seedcollection and extraction. Tree Plant.Notes 44: 98–100.

Wang, B.S.P. 1976. A review of paperspublished in the Proceedings of theIUFRO International Symposium onSeed Processing. Seed Sci. Technol. 4:341–349.

Upgrading

Bergsten, U. 1988. Invigoration and IDS-sedimentation of Pinus sylvestris seedsfrom northern Finland. Silva Fenn.22(4): 323–327.

Downie, B. 1999. Upgrading seed quality ofconifer seed lots: The how and glimpsesof the why? Pages 6–20. In Proc. 19 th

Forest Nursery Assoc. B.C. Meeting.Vancouver, BC, 27–30 Sep. 1999,Vancouver, BC.

Simak, M. 1984. A method for removal offilled-dead seeds from a sample of Pinuscontorta . Seed Sci. Technol. 12:767–775.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Bacles, C.F.E.; Burczyk, J.; Lowe, A.J.; Ennos,R.A. 2005. Historical and contemporarymating patterns in remnant populationsof the forest tree Fraxinus excelsior L.Evolution 59(5): 979–990.

Clegg, B.F.; Tinner, W.; Gavin, D.G .; Hu, F.S.2005. Morphological differentiation ofBetula (birch) pollen in northwest NorthAm erica and its palaeoecologicalapplication. Holocene 15(2): 229–237.

Cristol, D.A. 2005. Walnut-caching behavior ofAmerican crows. J. Field Ornithol.76(1): 27–32.

Gormsen, A.K.; Hense, A.; Toldam-Andersen,T.B.; Braun, P. 2005. Large-scaleclimate variability and its effects onmean temperature and flowering time ofPrunus and Betula in Denmark. Theor.Appl. Climatol. 82(1-2): 41–50.

Hirayama, K.; Ishida, K.; Tomaru, N. 2005.Effects of pollen shortage and self-pollination on seed production of anendangered tree, Magnolia stellata.Ann. Bot. 95: 1009–1015.

Iddrisu, M.N.; Ritland, K. 2004. Geneticvariation, population structure, andmating system in bigleaf maple (Acermacrophyllum Pursh). Can. J. Bot.82(12): 1817–1825.

Kang, H. 2005. A five-year study of mastseeding in Pinus densiflora. J. PlantBiol. 48(2): 159–169.

Lait, S.; Ruengritsarakul, K.; Bhodthipuks, J.;Chaisurisri, K. 2004. Desiccation andstorage trial of Shorea henryana Pierreseeds. Pages 230–237. In M. Scandé, D.Jøker, M.E. Dulloo, and K.A. Thomson,eds. Comparative storage biology oftropical tree seeds. Int. Plant Gen. Res.Inst., Rome, Italy. 363 p.

Lambers, J.H.T.; Clark, J.S. 2005. The benefitsof seed banking for red maple (Acerr u b r u m ) : m a x i m i z i n g s e e d l i n grecruitment. Can. J. For. Res. 35:806–813.

Mueller, R.C.; Wade, B.D.; Gehring, C.A.;Whitham, T.G. 2005. Chronic herbivorynegatively impacts cone and seedproduction, seed quality and seedlinggrowth of susceptible pinyon pines.Oecologia 143(4): 558–565.

Newstrom, L.; Robertson, A. 2005. Progress inunderstanding pollination systems inNew Zealand. N.Z. J. Bot. 43: 1–59.

Pritchard, H.W .; Sacande, M; Berjak, P. 2004.Biological aspects of tropical tree seeddesiccation and storage responses. Pages319–341. In M. Scandé, D. Jøker, M.E.Dulloo, and K.A. Thomson, eds.Comparative storage biology of tropicaltree seeds. Int. Plant Gen. Res. Inst.,Rome, Italy. 363 p.

Robledo, A.J.J.; Gil, L. 2005. Patterns of pollendispersal in a small population of Pinussylvestris L. revealed by total-exclusionpaternity analysis. Heredity 94(1):13–22.

Rosenberg, O.; Weslien, J. 2005. Assessment ofcone-damaging insects in a Swedishspruce seed orchard and the efficacy oflarge-scale application of Bacillus

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thuringiensis variety aizawai x kurstakiagainst lepidopterans. J. Econ. Entomol.98(2): 402–408.

Roy, S.M.; Thapliyal, R.C.; Phartyal, S.S . 2004.Seed source variation in cone, seed andseed ling characteris tics across thenatural distribution of Himalayan lowlevel pine Pinus roxburghii Sarg. SilvaeGenet. 53(3): 116–123

Scandé, M.; Jøker, D.; Dulloo, M.E.; Thomson,K.A. 2004. Comparative storage biologyof tropical tree seeds. Int. Plant Gen.Res. Inst., Rome, Italy. 363 p.

Schueler, S.; Schlunzen, K.H.; Scholz, F. 2005.Viability and sunlight sensitivity of oakpollen and its implications for pollen-mediated gene flow. Trees 19(2):154–161.

Soltis, P.S.; Soltis, D.E. 2004. The origin anddeversification of angiosperms. Am. J.Bot. 91(10): 1614–1626.

Stoehr, M.; Webber, J.; Woods, J. 2004.Protocol for rating seed orchard seedlotsin British Columbia: quantifying geneticgain and diversity. Forestry 77(4):297–303.

Woods, J.H. 2005. Methods for estimatinggamete contributions to orchard seedcrops and vegetative lots in BritishColumbia. BC Min. For. Range, Tech.Rept. 25, 17 p.