POST CONFERENCE TOUR
The Post Conference tour will be held on Friday, July 14. The group will depart from the Prestige Vernon Lodge hotel and travel by pick-up truck to four remote field sites. Lunch will be provided and enjoyed at the Barnes Creek clone bank. Space will be limited to 40 participants. Below is the detailed itinerary and a description of each field site.
This tour will require participants to travel on rough logging roads and walk through the forest on uneven ground. Please contact the organizing committee if you are concerned about accessibility.
DEEP CREEK AMAT SITE
Approximately 300 million seedlings are planted in British Columbia each year. When those trees are harvested 60 to 80 years after they are planted, the climate is expected to be 2-3 degrees warmer than when the seedlings were planted, exposing the trees to maladaptation and health risks. Consequently, government researchers have initiated a large, long-term climate change research study (the Assisted Migration Adaptation Trial, AMAT) to better understand tree species’ climate tolerances. Results will inform seed source selection (Climate Based Seed Transfer), helping to ensure that BC’s plantations are healthy and productive.
WESTERN LARCH DEEP CREEK PROGENY TEST
The Deep Creek western larch progeny trial, is one in a series of second-cycle trials, evaluating parents in the Nelson breeding population. The trial, planted in 2017 at 1150m in the ICHmk1, includes 320 families and 5 local seed lots, displays excellent growth and low mortality. The series will be used to define deployment zones and make forward selections, to provide genetically improved stock for seed orchards and a new cycle of breeding.
A sister series planted in 2018, is evaluating parents in the East Kootenay breeding population.
WESTERN REDCEDAR BARNEY PROGENY TEST
The coastal western redcedar breeding program was initiated via polycross breeding. To avoid the high natural frequency of selfing in this species (approx. 30%), 800 females were outcrossed with a polymix of 21 males. These families were tested across 46 sites established in seven series between 1998 and 2005. In the sixth series, two Interior test sites were established, including Barney. In 2021, forward selections were made from this mostly coastal material for the base population of the new Interior western redcedar breeding program.
LODGEPOLE PINE MABLE LAKE REALIZED GAIN TRIAL
The Mable Lake realized gain trial was established in 1999 and includes three genetic entries (elite, orchard and wild-stand) planted at three different tree spacings (1.5m, 2.5m and 3.5m). This site was established with five others in the south selected to test the performance of elite material on low, mid and high productivity sites. The Mable Lake site is an example of a high productivity site. The trial has been well maintained and measured at 5-year intervals. The purpose of the trial was to provide area-based estimates of volume and check the accuracy of breeding values estimated from progeny tests. Over the years other traits have been assessed on this site and others including disease incidence and acoustic velocity