The CBC is delighted to announce that we have been awarded a 3 -year grant under the Tree Production Innovation Fund (TPIF) administered by the Forestry Commission.
The grant will allow the Co-op to accelerate work on creating breeding populations of Douglas fir and Norway spruce by funding the selection and grafting of Plus Trees. We intend to have full breeding populations, comprising 250 individuals for both species, by the end of the project.
We also intend to carry out DNA analysis on the materials collected to characterise the genetic diversity of UK stands. There is little knowledge on this topic, particularly for Douglas Fir, and there are reports of suspected inbreeding depression. The results of the DNA fingerprinting will allow any such issues to addressed early in the breeding cycle.
The TPIF funding will also allow the analysis of genetic field trials set up the Forestry Commission in the 1980’s and 1990’s with material from European, North American and UK orchards and seed stands.
The CBC’s TPIF bid showcases what is best about the Co-operative; it is a truly collaborative effort leveraging expertise from its core members including Plus Tree selections, grafting, data collection & analysis, and DNA fingerprinting.