Treesearch
Breeding for growth improvement and resistance to multiple pests in Thuja plicata
| Authors: | John H. Russell, Alvin D. Yanchuk |
| Year: | 2012 |
| Type: | General Technical Report |
| Station: | Pacific Southwest Research Station |
| Source: | In: Sniezko, Richard A.; Yanchuk, Alvin D.; Kliejunas, John T.; Palmieri, Katharine M.; Alexander, Janice M.; Frankel, Susan J., tech. coords. Proceedings of the fourth international workshop on the genetics of host-parasite interactions in forestry: Disease and insect resistance in forest trees. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-240. Albany, CA: Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. pp. 40-44 |
Download (PDF 868 KB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/42293.pdf
Abstract
Western redcedar (Thuja plicata Donn ex D. Don), a member of the Cupressaceae, is an important commercial species in British Columbia (BC) and the Pacific Northwest (PNW), which is prized for its heartwood and its performance as a naturally durable outdoor building material. Although a genetic improvement program has been ongoing for only 15 years in BC, substantial progress has been made owing in part to its unique genetic and biological properties. These include early precious flowering and short generations (Russell and Ferguson 2008), the ability to self with minimal inbreeding depression (Russell et al. 2003), and ease of vegetative propagation and clonal deployment……As climates change and pests, known and unknown, become more abundant, breeding strategies need to adapt to better accommodate shifts in environmental stresses. Developing breeding populations that are resilient to multiple pests, as well as maintaining adaptability and growth, is imperative to ensure current and future forest health.