The CBC has produced a Strategic Plan to articulate its mission, and identify its key activities and objectives. It was written in response to the need to establish priorities for work in Sitka spruce where new breeding opportunities were emerging and to guide foundational breeding work in its secondary (“alternative”) conifer species programme. In addition, with climate change and increasing concerns around insect pests and diseases, it was crucial to integrate adaptation more explicitly into the CBC’s programmes.
The thinking encapsulated in the Strategic Plan was developed through workshops, discussions, and consultations of both CBC members and non-members from 2019 to 2022. These activities included a workshop on breeding for wood properties, a consultation on alternative conifer priorities, consultation of the head of tree breeding at Forest Research, and regular meetings of the Co-op’s Research and Strategy sub-group. The plan includes six strategic objectives and 10 recommendations for their implementation including an annual review at the beginning of each calendar year.
CBC’s strategic objectives for tree breeding are defined as follows:
- Conserve genetic resources ex-situ by establishing, managing, and monitoring clone banks and other collections.
- Support the production of improved FRM primarily through recommendations for seed orchard development and full-sibling crosses for vegetative propagation.
- Develop breeding objectives for priority species which incorporate more genetic diversity into our base populations to ensure long-term adaptability and regularly update them.
- Establish robust data management and analytical systems to keep track of tree breeding information and activities.
- Develop a network of field trials across GB for improvement of our priority species and for continuous long-term evaluation of climate and pest resilience (provenance trials, progeny trials).
- Actively integrate new technologies including DNA analyses, rapid determinations of wood properties and methods for evaluating resilience to climate change and pests.
The Plan contains 12 recommendations:
- Maintain the level of core-funded work at 2/3 in Sitka spruce and 1/3 in alternative conifers for the next 5 years.
- Maintain the alternative conifer priority species as Douglas fir, Norway spruce, and Scots pine for the next five years.
- Develop a plan to establish a robust data management and analytical system to keep track of tree breeding information and activities, aiming for implementation by the end of 2024.
- Adopt the strategic objectives set out in this plan. The ordering of the strategic objectives reflects their relative priority.
- Adopt the 5-year plans for Sitka spruce with a particular emphasis on archiving, establishment of new trials, and finalising genetic gain calculations with existing data.
- Adopt the 5-year plans for alternative conifers. The goals for Douglas-fir and Norway spruce are outlined in the funded TPIF projects. The goals for Scots pine will need more detail.
- Consolidate the partnership with Forest Research through joint initiatives and updated IP agreements.
- Develop an annual fundraising action plan for items 10.1, 10.3, and 10.4. Continue to engage with the TPIF program and leverage this funded work to strengthen partnerships.
- Identify gaps in the communication plan and establish priorities considering the major strands identified here and opportunities as they arise.
- An annual review of the present strategic development plan will be carried out by the CBC’s research and strategy sub-group and its recommendations will be discussed at the first Board Meeting of each calendar year.