The Tree Improvement Unit provides well-adapted, genetically improved seed to the Kingsclear tree nursery to grow seedlings for reforestation on Crown and private lands in New Brunswick. First generation seed orchards were established in the late 1970’s and throughout the 1980′s and have provided improved seed to nurseries since the early 1990′s.
Using data from genetic trials, several traits are assessed including growth rate, straightness, and resistance to insect and disease. The top performing trees from these trials are then selected for next generation seed orchards, providing genetically superior trees for future generations.
Today, second-generation seed orchards, with trees that have been selected and tested from the previous generation, are producing improved trees for New Brunswick’s plantations. This process is even more important over the long-term with climate change, as we can identify trees that are better adapted to changing environmental conditions.
All seed collected from these orchards are extracted at the Atlantic Forest Seed Centre (AFSC), which is also managed by the Tree Improvement Unit.
The Department of Natural Resources and Energy Development (DNRED) is a member of the Atlantic Tree Improvement Council (AtlanTIC), which is a partnership of Atlantic Canadian provincial governments, forest industry, and scientific research professionals. AtlanTIC partners work together to realize the economic and environmental benefits of tree improvement through collaborative breeding, field testing, resource sharing, and research.