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Program objectives Building a Better Christmas : • Understand basic concepts and terms Abies Tree Improvement Research associated with tree improvement • Discuss recent and current efforts in Abies tree improvement research Bert Cregg, Ph.D. • An eye to the future Michigan State University Department of Horticulture Department of Forestry

Tree Improvement What is a genotype? • Three principle components: • Species – Development or identification of new • Variety genotypes (breeding or exploration) • Provenance ( source) – Selection of superior genotypes (testing) • Open-pollinated family – Capturing genetic gains in a production system • Full-sib family • Clone

Species selection • Often the most basic level of genetic selection and improvement – Could undervalue a species if a poor seed source was chosen

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MSU Exotic trial Experimental Design

• material came from Location of four Abies trials in the Kellogg Research Michigan. , Augusta, MI 1) Kellogg Research (KRF)

• Initial plantings in Fall of 2) Clarksville Horticulture Experiment Station (CHES) 2002 and additional 4 plantings in the Fall of 2003 3) Horticulture Teaching and

Research Center (HTRC) 2 • Plantings at 3 different 3 locations Michigan 4) Northwest Michigan 1 Horticultural Research Station (NWHRS)

Asian North American Firs Balsam fir Abies balsamea Fraser fir Abies fraseri Momi fir Abies firma Sub-Alpine fir Abies lasiocarpa Nikko fir Abies homolepis Noble fir Abies procera Korean fir Canaan fir Abies balsamea var phanerolepis fir Corkbark fir Abies bifolia Veitch fir Red fir Abies magnifica Siberian White fir Needle fir Abies holophylla Ernst fir Abies chensiensi Source: Mayr Sakhalin fir Abies sachalinensis var mayriana Liu, Siberian Silver fir Abies siberica var argenta 1971. Source: Liu, 1971.

Mediterranean Firs Hybrid Firs

Source: Liu, 1971. King Boris fir Abies borisii-regis

Nordman fir Korean x Veitch fir Abies koreana x veitchii Greek fir Korean x Balsam fir Abies koreana x balsamea Turkish fir Fraser x Nikko fir Abies fraseri x homolepis

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Late Frost Budbreak Budbreak Damage • Budbreak surveyed weekly at each location • Budbreak considered to have occurred once bud scale has been broken on 1 bud. • Frost damage surveyed at Kellogg using a 0-4 rating system: 0= no damage, 1=0-25%, 2= 25-50%, 3= 50- 75%, 4=75-100% of the buds were injured.

Budbreak Budbreak

Spp HTRC CHES KRF NWHRS Spp HTRC CHES KRF NWHRS NEE April 22 a April 24 ab April 23 a May 7 ab NEE April 22 a April 24 ab April 23 a May 7 ab SUB April 23 a May 2 bc April 23 a May 7 ab SUB April 23 a May 2 bc April 23 a May 7 ab COR April 24 a April 23 a April 23 a May 5 a COR April 24 a April 23 a April 23 a May 5 a Mean date of SIBW April 25 a April 21 a April 23 a May 5 a Mean date of SIBW April 25 a April 21 a April 23 a May 5 a budbreak of BAL May 3 b May 8 cde NR May 11 abc budbreak of BAL May 3 b May 8 cde NR May 11 abc 17 Abies KxV May 4 b May 4 c April 27 ab May 18 bcde 17 Abies KxV May 4 b May 4 c April 27 ab May 18 bcde species in CAN May 4 b May 9 cdef NR May 16 abcd species in CAN May 4 b May 9 cdef NR May 16 abcd spring 2004 NOR May 6 bc May 13 cdefg NR NR spring 2004 NOR May 6 bc May 13 cdefg NR NR grown at four FxN May 8 bcd May 14 defg May 6 bcd May 26 defg grown at four FxN May 8 bcd May 14 defg May 6 bcd May 26 defg locations in NOB May 13 cdef May 13 defg May 8 cd May 14 abc locations in NOB May 13 cdef May 13 defg May 8 cd May 14 abc Michigan ERN May 13 de May 15 defg May 4 bc May 14 abc Michigan ERN May 13 de May 15 defg May 4 bc May 14 abc TUR May 14 def May 15 defg May 6 bcd May 28 efgh TUR May 14 def May 15 defg May 6 bcd May 28 efgh Means followed by the FRA May 17 ef May 14 fg NR May 30 fgh Means followed by the FRA May 17 ef May 14 fg NR May 30 fgh same letter are not same letter are not significantly different NIK May 19 fg May 17 efg May 13 cd May 21 cdef significantly different NIK May 19 fg May 17 efg May 13 cd May 21 cdef a a from each other. = .05, KOR May 23 gh May 21 g May 3 abc May 28 efgh from each other. = .05, KOR May 23 gh May 21 g May 3 abc May 28 efgh Tukey. NR indicates no Tukey. NR indicates no records available. VEI May 23 gh May 21 g May 15 d June 7 h records available. VEI May 23 gh May 21 g May 15 d June 7 h KxB May 27 h May 7 cd May 4 bc June 6 gh KxB May 27 h May 7 cd May 4 bc June 6 gh

Late Frost Damage Cold Hardiness Frost Damage at Kellogg – Spring 2004 80 Experiment Two

0 - 25% Bud Damage 25 - 50% Bud Damage 60 Goal: To understand relationships between maximum mid-winter cold hardiness and 40 date of budbreak.

20 Percent of Damaged

0

KxV KxB FxN NIK VEI NEE SIBW COR SUB BAL CAN NOR KOR ERN TUR NOB Species

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Cold Hardiness Cold Hardiness - Fv/Fm

Bud damage = 1 at -39 °C Fv/Fm Bud damage = 0 at 2 °C Spp December* January* March CAN 0.627 a 0.657 a 0.462 ns SIBW 0.611 a 0.654 a 0.705 ns VEI 0.375 a 0.492 a 0.291 ns Bud damage = 2 at -78 °C ERN 0.022 b 0.071 b 0.304 ns

Average Fv/Fm readings of four Abies species following controlled freeze tests to -44 °C.

Cold Hardiness vs. Budbreak Biotic Factors 0.8

0.6 • Deer damage to

at -44 °C 0.4 Turkish, Ernst, m /F v SIBW Nordmann, and 0.2 CAN ERN Fraser fir at Kellogg VEI

Average F 0.0 2 R = 0.38 p = 0.033

April 22 May 5 May 12 May 21 Mean Date of Budbreak

Comparison of average Fv/Fm at -44 °C and mean days to budbreak in 2004 of four Abies species at HTRC in December 2004 and January and March 2005.

Introgression: Hybrids Example “Grandicolor” fir • Many firs can form inter-specific hybrids (crosses between two species) • Interspecific hybrids may occur: – Naturally (Introgression) Abies grandis – Spontaneously A. concolor var. lowiana A. concolor var. concolor – Deliberately (Controlled crosses)

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Spontaneous hybrid: Example: “Craser” fir

Interspecific hybrids from Interspecific hybrids from controlled crosses controlled crosses

Abies lasiocarpa × koreana

Hybrids can produce several outcomes Variety • Botanic classification below species – Varieties differ in appearance or mophology but still meet criteria of species; i.e., can hybridize and form fertile progeny

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Douglas-fir Douglas-fir Pseudotusga Pseudotsuga menziesii menziesii var. menziesii

Douglas-fir Provenance Pseudotsuga • Refers to geographic seed source menziesii – Provenances within a species can vary widely var. glauca in many traits including: • Growth rate • Phenology • Cold hardiness • Pest resistance • Needle color • Needle retention

Rhabdocline needlecast in Provenance testing Douglas-fir • A major component of classical tree improvement programs • Goals are to determine extent of within- species variation and identify superior seed collection areas

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SanJuan RioGrande Lincoln Apache Progeny testing • Evaluation of maternal and paternal parents based on performance of their off- spring • Best parents are retained for seed orchards

Photo courtesy Dr. Rick Bates, Penn State

Progeny (family) selection Recurrent selection • Open pollenated (Half-sib) family – all progeny have same maternal parent • Full-sib family – all progeny have same maternal and paternal parents • Geneticists can estimate heritability of traits and genetic gains

Genetic Variation in Fraser Fir Christmas Trees in North Carolina John Frampton

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2000 Fraser Fir Progeny Test Series

 200 seedlots were tested  8 locations  Over 28,000 trees total  Selections made in 2005 & 2007  NCPFFS Coop will use selections Dots indicate trees to expand seed orchard sampled in the Fraser Fir Range-wide Cone Collection

The 2000 Fraser Fir Progeny Test Series Seed Sources The Fraser Fir Progeny Test Series

----- Number of Families ----- Schedule of Activities Total Group A Group B

(8 Sites) (4 Sites) (4 Sites) Activity 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 Grow Seedlings as Greenhouse Plugs Balsam Mountains 32 16 16 Grow Seedlings as Nursery Transplants Grandfather Mountain 32 16 16 Pre-Plant Measurements Establish Field Trials Great Smoky Mountains 50 25 25 Culture as Christmas Trees Annual Measurements Mount Mitchell 24 12 12 Graft Elite Yr 5 Selections Graft Elite Yr 7 Selections Mount Rogers 24 12 12 Establish New Seed Orchard(s) Roan Mountain 26 13 13 Establish Breeding Orchard Checklots 6 6 6 Overall 194 100 100

Range of Geographic Sources: Range in Family Means Group B: $14.56 – $16.06 ($1.50) Group B: $12.00 – $18.57 ($6.57)

Best Family 20 20 18 18 16 Worst Family 16 14 14 12 12 10 10 8 8 6

WholesaleValue ($) 6 WholesaleValue ($) 4 4 2 2 0 0 Great Great Balsam Mount Roan Grandfather Mount Balsam Mount Roan Grandfather Mount Smoky Smoky Mountains Rogers Mountain Mountain Mitchell Mountains Rogers Mountain Mountain Mitchell Mountains Mountains Average 16.06 15.94 15.11 15.06 14.60 14.56 Average 16.06 15.94 15.11 15.06 14.60 14.56 Best Family 18.57 17.95 17.60 17.10 15.76 17.73 Best Family 18.57 17.95 17.60 17.10 15.76 17.73 Worst Family 13.15 14.03 12.31 12.34 12.00 12.18 Worst Family 13.15 14.03 12.31 12.34 12.00 12.18

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Capturing genetic gains Clonal propagation • Once we have identified superior genotypes, how do we produce sufficient numbers to plant?

Rooted cuttings Grafting

Survival of Fraser fir and Momi fir seedlings and grafts

Adapted from Hinesley and Frampton 2002

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Plagiotropic growth is a common problem in grafted Source identified seed

Rasmussen et al. 2010

Seed orchards

An eye to the future • Improved seed = improved uniformity • Species evaluation • Interspecific hybrids • Marker-aided selection

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The Collaborative Fir Germplasm Evaluation (CoFirGE) Project

Collaborative Fir Germplasm Connecticut Association Richard Cowles Evaluation Project Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station John Ahrens Danish Christmas Tree Growers Association Ulrik Nielsen CoFirGE Project University of Copenhagen Michigan Christmas Tree Association Jill O'Donnell GOAL: To cooperate in obtaining and Bert Cregg evaluating seedlings of fir species for use as Michigan State University Pascal Nzokou Christmas trees across production regions of the United States and Denmark. North Carolina Christmas Tree Association John Frampton North Carolina State University Fikret Isik Initial Effort Evaluate seedlings from 20 trees from each of three Pacific Northwest Christmas Tree Association Chal Landgren provenances of Turkish fir and two provenances of Oregon State University Gary Chastagner Trojan fir Pennsylvania Christmas Tree Growers Association Rick Bates Pennsylvania State University

Interest in Interest in Turkish Abies Species Turkish Concerns Abies Species  Slow initial growth  Availability of proven  Disease resistance  Resistance / tolerance high quality seed  Questions about . Phytophthora to other pests root rot . Spider mites regional adaptability  Lack of evergreen smell . Annosus root . Balsam woolly  Limited genetic  Susceptibility to deer rot adelgid information on seed damage . Current . Others ? sources Season Needle  Stress tolerance -  Postharvest needle Necrosis Drought retention . Others ?

Abies Species native to Turkish Fir Abies bornmuelleriana Nordmann Fir Trojan Fir Abies nordmanniana Abies equi-trojani

Cilician or Toros Fir Abies cilicica

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Field Trial Design

5 Regions 2 Tests/Region 30 Blocks/Test/Region 5 Provenances 20 Families/Provenance Each test site 1 Trees/Family/Provenance/Block/Test/Region ------will contain 30,000 Total Turkish & Trojan Fir Trees 3,690 study 3 Checklots: Fraser, Noble & Nordmann Fir trees and 300 Seedlings/Checklot (30 Seedlings/Test) ------occupy about 900 Total Checklot Trees 1.8 acres at a 5’ ------x 5’ spacing. 30,900 Total Study Trees

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Planting day – MSU Tree Research Center USDA SCRI Project • Genetic marker systems to select traits of importance to the Christmas tree industry • A catalog of fir genotypes • Expanded use of genetically improved planting stock

USDA SCRI Project • Increase understanding of consumer preferences relating to Christmas trees • Increase grower knowledge about consumer preferences and how to use improved genetic material and cultural practices to better meet their needs

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Thanks for your attention!

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