The Co-op held its annual Open Day on the 29th September 2022. The event was hosted by Forestart forest seed suppliers and Maelor Forest Nurseries at their sites in Shropshire and Wrexham respectively. The day comprised a series of talks and field visits to explain the process of tree breeding from plus tree selection and grafting through to the establishment and management of seed orchards and controlled pollinations. Delegates were also given a tour of Forestart and Maelor’s main operations including forest seed collection, preparation & registration, and Maelor’s miniplug growing system and advanced Somatic Embryo laboratory.
The CBC’s Chair, Professor John Mackay, presented his Annual Report giving an update on a number of significant changes brought in to allow the scaling up and effective running of the Co-operative. Changes include new personnel & governance arrangements and improved definition of medium to long term breeding objectives. Above all, he highlighted the acceleration of foundation breeding activities in Norway spruce and Douglas fir which is underway thanks to TPIF grant funding (see above). You can view Professor Mackay’s Annual Report here:
CBC Chair Report 2022 MacKay Open Day
