Progressing Radiata pine breeding
in Australia.
M.B. Powell, T.A. McRae, D.J. Pilbeam and H.X. Wu
Background to the strategy
Tool Development
Juvenile Wood
Breeding Objectives
Strategy Revision
Where to?
Overview
• Manages the Australian cooperative genetic improvement program for Pinus radiata.
• The radiata pine program was developed after the formal amalgamation of independent member programs in 1983.
• Membership encompasses about half of the Pinus radiata plantings in Australia (300k ha).
Southern Tree Breeding Association
Southern Tree Breeding AssociationMembers:
• AKD Softwoods• Auspine• Forest Enterprises Australia• ForestrySA• Forestry Tasmania• Grand Ridge Plantations (HVP)• Great Southern Plantations • Green Triangle Forest Products• Gunns• Hancock Victorian Plantations • Horizon2 (NZ)• Midway Plantations• Norske Skog Paper Mills• Saxton Seed• Treecorp• WA Plantation Resources
Research Members:
• CSIRO - FFP• CRC - SPF and CRC - SFL• Forest Science Centre • UNE (Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit)• Forest Research (NZ)
Licensed Seed Company:
• seedEnergy Pty Ltd
• 1983 – 1993 Constant change and improvement• sublining• single pair mating, combined index selection• sc nucleus, op main• expanded membership• multiple population sublines• 1991/92 - Multiple Population Subline Strategy. Tim White Analysis.
Breeding population of 340, nucleus of 40, main of 300. Three unrelated lines MP, DG and G/Ph.
• 1993 New Zealand implications
• 1996/97 – suite of progeny trials established in southern states
• 2000 – 2005 new tools developed
History of the strategy
BR9715
BR9703 BR9704 BR9705 BR9706
BR9707 BR9708
1997 trials
Two “types” of tests Breeding/progeny tests Microcutting tests and/or
deployment crosses only
BR9701 BR9702
BR9709 BR9710
History of the strategy
Three “types” of tests Breeding/progeny tests Microcutting tests and/or
deployment crosses only APP Comparison tests
BR9614 BR9615
BR9601 BR9602 BR9603
BR9604 BR9605 BR9606 BR9607
1996 trials
BR9608 BR9609
BR9617
BR9611 BR9612
• 53,000 trees tested• 469 families (SC,PX)
Tool development
3 basic tools:
1. Data management system2. Genetic evaluation system3. Crossing and deployment
management system
STBA now has the first two and isworking towards the third
Tool developmentManagement of data and Information
• STBA data - 500,000 trees potentially accessible from a sixty year period
• Historically data storage was not done well - numerous ad hoc files.
• Specifications for a system were developed in the late-1990s.
Tool developmentManagement of data and Information
STBA-DMS™ developed over the last five years• web-based interface • stores progeny trial performance data • also manages the pedigree for genetic evaluation
purposes • fully integrated with the TREEPLAN® genetic
evaluation system• ability to track pedigree for general purpose use in
crossing programs, trial measure and assessment etc.
Tool development Management of data and Information
Tool development TREEPLAN® Genetic Evaluation
• Accurate prediction of breeding values is fundamental for success
• Optimal statistical method for breeding value prediction is Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (BLUP).
• BLUP was first introduced to tree improvement in the STBA in 1995
• Use of BLUP will maximise the use of genetic information within the STBA cooperative.
• The STBA and The Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit (AGBU) have now developed the TREEPLAN® genetic evaluation system
• Customised for forest tree improvement
• Has been using it routinely in STBA breeding programs for over three years
Tool development TREEPLAN® Genetic Evaluation
• Regularly updated genetic values are available via the internet through the STBA-DMS™
• Enables the STBA to meet its obligations to
members by helping to deliver maximum genetic gain in plantations per unit of time and cost
Tool development TREEPLAN® Genetic Evaluation
• Regionalised (GxE)• In 2004 TREEPLAN
generated breeding values for 78 progeny trials, 134,767 genotypes
• Large volumes of data will accumulate over the coming years
Wood et al. (2001)
Tool development TREEPLAN® Genetic Evaluation
Tool development TREEPLAN® Genetic Evaluation System
Juvenile Wood Initiative
Early STBA breeding strategy concentrated on tree volume and form on the assumption that this would lead to more fibre and more profits.
• Selection has increased growth significantly
• Rotation age has decreased from 40-45 years to around 27-30 years for various reasons.
Characteristics of juvenile woodCharacteristics of juvenile woodLow value and profits
Juvenile woodLow densityShort fibresHigh spiral grainLow latewoodThin cell wallsHigh knot incidentLower cellulose
Mature woodHigh densityLong fibresLow spiral grainHigh latewoodThick cell wallsLow knot incidentHigher cellulose
Wu et al. 2004
Juvenile Wood Initiative
• As a consequence, juvenile wood has increased to about 1/3 to 1/2 of total volume (trend is likely to continue)
• Improvement of juvenile wood (quantity and quality) is critical for the future of the softwood industry in Australia.
Juvenile Wood Initiative
2003 to 2008 – project with CSIRO and FWPRDC focused on improving juvenile wood in radiata pine
• Aim is to develop methods to accurately predict MoE or wood stiffness in young trees
• Derive a juvenile wood stiffness index for use in the breeding program.
• Early goal – sampling 6 trials for density
• Achieved in mid 2004 – 7000+ cores
• Information now incorporated into the latest TREEPLAN® genetic evaluation
Juvenile Wood InitiativeDensity sampling
Economic Breeding Objectives
• Most important aspect of a tree improvement program is the definition of a clearly defined breeding objective.
• Traits in the breeding objective should influence profit ($)
• The definition of an objective is an economic, not a genetic issue
• Breeding objectives have commonly been “loosely” defined and based on biology rather than on economic information
• Historically the breeding objective traits used in Pinus radiata were:
• Growth (VOLUME) • Branch quality (BRANCH)• Stem straightness (STEMST)• Wood density (DEN)
Economic Breeding Objectives
Project with FWPRDC and CSIRO commenced in 2001
Two main components :• Deriving economic weights for traits in the
breeding objective
• Estimating genetic parameters for key breeding objective traits (rotation age) and selection traits (younger age).
Economic Breeding Objectives
Methodology• Survey of STBA members production systems • Development of bio-economic models
• Assess appropriate breeding objective traits • Estimation of relative economic weights
• Likely breeding objective traits – growth, stem straightness, branching and stiffness
• Traits and economic weights being incorporated into the STBA radiata pine breeding strategy and TREEPLAN® system
Economic Breeding ObjectivesEconomic weights
Methodology• Age-age data from ~2000 wood samples near
rotation age (3 trials)• Preliminary results being reported:
• Growth• Wood density, microfibril angle and modulus
of elasticity• Genetic parameters being incorporated into the
STBA radiata pine breeding strategy and TREEPLAN® system
Economic Breeding ObjectivesGenetic parameters
Current breeding strategy, 1980s and early 1990s. • Theoretical approach rather than the effective
and efficient implementation of the program.
New strategy focus is on total tree improvement• Delivery of genetic gain per unit time
• Generation interval reduction • Selection pressure increased
• Several areas where the current strategy could be improved
Revising the strategy
Projects - Breeding Objectives, Juvenile WoodBLUP - TREEPLAN®
Operational:• Nucleus - more efficient selection and mate
allocation methods available• Discrete generations – rolling front • Pollen Mixes – single crosses and more effective
use of pedigree (BLUP) • Independent sub-lines – retained to manage
inbreeding and deployment
Revising the strategy
Where to?
STBA has access to a highly valuable genetic resource
Projects in key target areas have been developed and are largely in place
$NPV Index
Still some issues:• GxE• Realised gains
Conclusion
STBA is putting in place the key tools needed to effectively manage large scale breeding programs
Major benefits will come over next few years:• Switch to an annualised, rolling front
program of crossing and trial establishment • Tools to manage key genetic and resource
information
Acknowledgements
STBA Pinus radiata Member companies
Particularly:
CSIROFWPRDC
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