Newsletter
- September 2001
Inside This Issue
21st Session
of the International Poplar Commission: Introduction and Tour
C
Jim Richardson, Technical Director, Poplar Council of Canada
In late September and early October 2000, following
the 21st Session of the International Poplar Commission
(IPC 2000) held in Vancouver, Washington, an international group
of poplar experts toured a number of locations of interest to
poplar and aspen breeders, managers, and users in British Columbia
and Alberta. The 21st Session of IPC, which is a subsidiary
body of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United
Nations, was hosted jointly by the Poplar Councils of the United
States and Canada. The event was organized by a committee co-chaired
by Jud Isebrands of the North-Central Research Station of the
USDA Forest Service, and Jim Richardson, Technical Director of
the Poplar Council of Canada. More than 250 people from 30 countries
participated in the Session. The strong scientific and technical
program can be sampled in a couple of publications including Isebrands
and Richardson (2000)1, which
describes research results and ongoing research activities in
220 abstracts submitted to the Session, covering poplar and willow
breeding, diseases, insects, production and utilization as well
as a special March/April issue of the Canadian forestry journal,
The Forestry Chronicle 2, which
contains 12 of the keynote and invited papers presented at the
Session.
Following the technical sessions in Vancouver,
Washington, three post-conference tours were offered: two in the
States of Washington and Oregon, which are described elsewhere
in this newsletter, and one in British Columbia and Alberta. The
Canadian Tour involved 31 people from 12 different countries in
North and South America, Europe and Asia. Technical leadership
was provided by Jim Richardson, Technical Director of the Poplar
Council, and logistical arrangements were handled by Sandra Williams,
Executive Secretary of the Poplar Council. Tour C began in the
Seattle area immediately following the end of Tour B. Over the
next 5 days, the tour took participants by motor coach through
the Lower Fraser Valley, the Okanagan Valley, Rogers Pass and
the Kicking Horse Pass to Banff, along the Icefields Parkway in
the Rocky Mountains to Jasper, and finally through the aspen-mixedwood
forests of west-central Alberta and the Athabasca River area north-east
of Edmonton. The tour wrapped up in Edmonton.
As well as the principal scientific and technical
visits arranged by tour hosts Scott Paper, the Kalamalka Forestry
Centre of the B.C. Forest Service, Jasper National Park, the Northern
Forestry Centre of the Canadian Forest Service, and Alberta-Pacific
Forest Industries Ltd, the tour also included a number of tourist
stops. Participants enjoyed a vineyard tour and wine-tasting in
the Okanagan Valley, a walk on the Columbia Icefields, and a visit
to the West Edmonton Mall, and a number of memorable meals with
typical Canadian and regional foods.
Scott Paper Limited, the host for the first technical
visit, manufactures tissue products from cottonwood (Populus
trichocarpa) and hybrid poplar, mainly from its Tree Farm
Licence 43 in the valley-bottom alluvial lands of the Fraser River.
Tour host Dan Carson led the group through three principal stops.
The first stop was at a 39-year-old plantation of P. deltoides
x P. nigra on the edge of the Fraser River. It had
been planted in 1962 at about 5 m ´ 10 m spacing using 2-year
rooted stock, over 1 m in height. The plantation had reached about
42 m in height and average diameter of 64 cm. Forest practices
in this area, which is surrounded by dairy farms and borders the
river, are subject to the comprehensive compliance and enforcement
provisions of the Private Land Forest Practices Regulation of
the B.C. Forest Land Reserve Act, which include the protection
of key environmental values of soil conservation, fish habitat,
water quality and critical wildlife habitat. In particular, within
20 m of the Fraser River, retention of older age-class hardwood
trees - including poplars - is required, which obviously places
a restraint on harvesting plans.
The second stop was at the Harrison Mills Nursery,
a 14 ha site established in 1988 with an annual production capacity
of about 400,000 unrooted poplar cuttings and whips, of which
Scott Paper uses less than 60,000. Excess stock is sold to outside
growers. The site is used as a research facility in testing new
clones, and has a clonal archive with over 400 clones as part
of a provincial poplar research installation. A spacing trial
was established on the nursery site in 1988 with four operationally-planted
clones - TxD 49-177, TxD 50-197, TxD 44-143, and Blom (a selected
natural cottonwood) - at spacings of 4.8, 4.5, 4.2, 3.9 and 3.6
m. At age 12, heights ranged from 26 to 33 m, with diameters from
20 to 30 cm. Mean annual increment ranged from 17.90 m3/ha/year
for the cottonwood clone at 4.8 x 4.8 m spacing, to 28.74 m3/ha/year
for the hybrid poplar stock at 3.6 x 3.6 m spacing.
The third stop was on Herrling Island in the
Fraser River, accessed over an exposed gravel bar at a period
of low water levels. The island contains a variety of natural
cottonwood stands, intensive and extensively-managed hybrid poplar
stands and an old veneer plantation. The gravel bars, high water
channels and trails in the area are heavily used for recreation.
An intensively-managed hybrid poplar plantation had been planted
the previous spring following complete site clearing and tilling.
Hand and tractor brushing and weeding had been completed twice
in the first year, operations that are essential to achieve high
productivity and ensure proper weed control. A 16-year-old plantation
of P. trichocarpa x maximowiczii 'Androscoggin'
planted at 770 stems/ha had achieved a height of 27 m and quadratic
mean diameter of 22 cm (for stems greater than 17.5 cm at age
13). This plantation, along with others in the area had suffered
blowdown damage, requiring salvage harvesting. Wildlife conservation,
including bald eagle nesting sites and salmon spawning habitat
protection and enhancement, is an important consideration in the
area.
The Kalamalka Forestry Centre is one of four
research facilities of the B.C. Forest Service. The Centre started
as a project to genetically improve spruce tree seedlings, and
now has ongoing research on tree breeding, silviculture, forest
fertilization, timber yield estimation, and nursery stock production.
Mike Carlson, a research scientist and the manager of the Centre,
led the tour of Kalamalka.
The focus of the visit was a series of hybrid
poplar plantations established in 1988 on agricultural land irrigated
with reclaimed wastewater from the city of Vernon. The city provides
advanced reclamation treatment and disposal for all its residential,
commercial and industrial wastewater. The plant has a capacity
of 18,000 m3/day for a population of about 30,000.
The plantations are irrigated at about 125% of their estimated
evapotranspiration needs, and the wastewater has nutrient levels
of 7 ppm N and 5 ppm P, as well as Cu, Zn, B and Ca. The plantations
were thinned to 600-1000 trees/ha at age 5-6. At 13 years, average
height of a P. trichocarpa x deltoides clonal mix
was 30.5 m, with diameter ranging from 24.6 to 29.9 cm. Mean annual
increment ranged from 41.0 to 48.6 m3/ha/year. Ontario
clones of P. deltoides x nigra and P. nigra x
maximowiczii had achieved MAIs of as much as 50.0 m3/ha/year.
Further information on earlier phases of this interesting work
can be obtained in a paper presented at the 1991 annual meeting
of the Poplar Council of Canada3
At Jasper National Park, Alan Westhaver, vegetation
and fire management specialist with Parks Canada, gave a presentation
on aspen ecology and fire impact and management in the Rocky Mountain
National Parks, and then led the group through aspen, lodgepole
pine and grassland areas in the Athabasca River valley near the
Jasper Town site. The vegetation on these sites had been historically
influenced by recurring fires which have been virtually eliminated
by past fire management practices in the National Parks, with
resulting impacts on the age-structure and species composition
of the forest. Recently, prescribed fire has been introduced in
the Parks in an effort to return to more 'natural' ecosystem dynamics.
However, changes in wildlife populations (increased deer and elk
browsing), recreation and tourism pressures, and the presence
of major rail and highway transportation corridors greatly complicate
vegetation and fire management options.
The Northern Forestry Centre of the Canadian
Forest Service, based in Edmonton, has been responsible for establishing
and maintaining a wide network of silviculture and forest management
trials throughout the Prairie Provinces. Some of these were established
40 years ago or more, but the trial sites and stands, and experimental
data and records have been carefully maintained, providing an
invaluable source of data and information to answer many of the
questions of present-day forest managers and scientists. A number
of the trials investigated mixedwood succession and management,
and aspen ecology, regeneration and management. Four sites in
west-central Alberta were visited by the group, with leadership
from Derek Sidders, Ivor Edwards, and Stan Lux.
The first site was a 70-year-old mixedwood stand
in which conventional and modified harvesting systems had been
evaluated to protect an immature white spruce understory. Conventional
clearcut harvesting left only 686 understory white spruce stems
per ha, while modified harvesting with cut-to-length processing
at the stump and forwarding by a double-grip harvester, left 1621
stems per ha. There were almost 29,000 aspen stems per ha. Release
of planted white spruce trees from the aspen reproduction greatly
improved density and height growth of the planted trees.
At the second site, white spruce seedlings had
been planted under a 73-year-old aspen overstory in 1962. The
strong influence of the aspen overstory is shown by the fact that
it took 20 years for the 62% of white spruce seedlings that survived
to reach a height of 1.3 m. However, since then the spruce had
averaged 41.6 cm annual height increment.
The third site demonstrated the impact of forest
soil disturbance due to clearcutting of an aspen-dominated boreal
mixedwood stand. Skidder traffic reduced production and growth
of aspen suckers on skidtrails. Soil macroporosity was significantly
lower on skidtrails, but bulk density did not vary greatly between
skidtrails and elsewhere, suggesting effective freeze-thaw action
following compaction. On these medium- or fine-textured soils,
winter harvesting was recommended.
At the fourth site, aspen regrowth after release
by brushsaw of a 7-year-old aspen stand had been studied. Treatments
included cutting all aspen stems, or only those on 1 m circular
plots spaced 4 m apart, cutting stems at ground level or 50 cm
above, and cutting in May, June, August or March. Results after
8 years from treatment do not reveal any clear patterns.
Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries Inc. has a
single-line Kraft pulp mill using about 2,600,000 m3
of fibre per year, 93% of which is from deciduous harvest, primarily
aspen. The company is committed to ecosystem management of its
54,000 km2 land base, and supplements the fibre supply
from that area with a tree farming program designed to provide
a buffer for operational flexibility and to ensure a guaranteed
supply of high quality fibre close to the mill. The tree farming
program projects harvesting 400,000 m3 annually from
plantations, beginning in 2023, to supply about 15% of the mill's
fibre needs. The program operates presently on privately-owned
agricultural land.
The tree farming program is supported by a tree
improvement program based on fast-growing, high-quality-fibre
trees, resistant to insects and diseases, and, most importantly,
adapted to the relatively short growing season and harsh winters
of the area. The focus is on poplars (P. balsamifera, P. deltoides,
P. nigra, P. maximowiczii, P. simonii) and aspens (P. tremuloides,
P. tremula, P. davidiana, P. alba).
The tour, led by Dr. Barb Thomas of Genstat Consulting,
included a visit to Al-Pac’s oldest research and demonstration
plots established in 1993. There, 53 different hybrid and pure
species poplars from across North America have been planted, with
a comparison plantation of local native P. balsamifera,
and a collection of P. deltoides from southern Alberta.
Some of the best growth has been obtained with the prairie shelterbelt
P. deltoides cultivars 'Walker' and 'Manitou'. A more recently
established (1998) research field includes an extensive collection
of trials designed to address tree improvement and silvicultural
objectives. This includes a demonstration trial of hybrid poplar
growing with varying levels of fly-ash and biosolids produced
from the mill as a by-product of pulp production.
The invaluable contribution of the field notes
prepared for the IPC tour by Dan Carson of Scott Paper, Mike Carlson
of the Kalamalka Forestry Centre, Derek Sidders of the Northern
Forestry Centre, and Barb Thomas of Alberta-Pacific is gratefully
acknowledged. Without them, this article - and indeed the tour
- would have been much less informative.
1 Isebrands, J.G. & J. Richardson
(compilers) 2000. 21st Session of the International
Poplar Commission (IPC-2000): poplar and willow culture: meeting
the needs of society and the environment. Tech. Rep. NC-215. US
Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, North Central Research
Station. 220 p.
2 The Forestry Chronicle Vol. 77,
No. 2, March/April 2001.
3 Carlson, M. 1992. Municipal effluent
irrigation of fast-growing hybrid poplar plantations near Vernon,
British Columbia. Forestry Chronicle Vol. 68, No. 2: 206-8.
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IPC 2000, Tour A
John Doornbos, Chairman, Poplar Council of Canada
Tour A began at the conference site in Vancouver, WA. We traveled
65 kilometers south with stops at Broadacres Nursery in Hubbard
and the Woodburn Waste Treatment project. The tour returned north
towards Portland and followed the Columbia River east with a stop
at the scenic Multnomah Falls and overnight at The Dalles. On
Day two, the tour continued up the Columbia River to with stops
at the two intensive hybrid poplar plantations of Potlatch Corporation
and Boise Cascade. We ended Day Two with a winery tour on our
return trip to Vancouver.
Broadacres Nursery in Hubbard began producing poplar cuttings
in 1988 and now supplies over 2 million cuttings per year to the
forest industry in the US Northwest. Our hosts, Ray and Sandra
Ethell, provided the group with a tour of their basic but efficient
operation. Their commitment to poplars was evident in the Hybrid
Poplar Demonstration Centre, which doubles as Rays’ office.
The demonstration centre serves as a real life example of the
many uses of poplar. Ninety-eight percent of the materials used
in the 2 story, 1,500 square foot building are poplar and poplar
by-products. These include engineered poplar studs, joists and
beams, structural and birch faced cabinet plywood, solid poplar
posts and beams, moldings, casings and paneling. Ray and Sandra
also demonstrated some Oregon hospitality by providing us with
a taste of several local wines and snacks.
Staff from the consulting firm of CH2M Hill of Portland provided
a very interesting look at the operational use of wastewater irrigation
in a poplar plantation. As a result of regulatory changes, the
City of Woodburn (pop. 17,000) was required to reduce waste water
discharge in the adjacent Pudding River, especially during times
of low river flow in July and August. In 1995, the City of Woodburn
developed a 3.4 hectare wastewater reuse demonstration site at
their wastewater treatment plant. Wastewater reuse was selected
over tertiary treatment based on cost.
In 1999, the city expanded the site to 32.3 hectares at a cost
of $US 4.6 million. Annual operating costs are $US 120,000. Poplars
are planted at a 4m by 2m spacing with grass an interim cover
crop. The trees are irrigated with a up to 1cm/ha per day of effluent
(to a maximum of 70 cm/ha per year) using elevated low pressure
sprinkler heads. Biosolids from the treatment plant are also spread
on the plantation. The planned rotation is 7 – 10 years and the
intended use of the poplars is for pulp and paper. It is anticipated
that the site will expand to 128 hectares.
On our way from Woodburn to our overnight stop in The Dalles,
there were two points of interest. The first was a stop at Multnomah
Falls, a very scenic waterfall in the Columbia Gorge along side
I84. The second was a gradual but very dramatic transition. The
Portland - Woodburn area, just west of the Cascades, has loamy
soils with moderate temperatures and precipitation in excess of
1000mm per year, falling mostly as rain in the winter months.
In contrast the Boardman area, 260 kilometers east of Portland,
lies in the rain shadow of the Cascades. The soils are sandy to
a depth of at least 1.5 metres, precipitation averages 200mm per
year with 190 frost free days per year.
In 1993, Potlatch purchased 9,000 ha of irrigated farmland 7
km. east of Boardman in anticipation of fiber shortages resulting
from reduced harvest volumes from federal lands. The company has
7,000 ha. currently in poplar production utilizing over 23,000
km. of drip irrigation line and 600 km of subsurface line. Water
is obtained duty free from the Columbia River, approximately 5
km north. All irrigation and fertilization systems are managed
by an automated computer system.
The operation was originally designed to supply 20 to 25 percent
of the fiber requirements (spacing at 3m by 2.4m) for Potlatch’s
pulp and paperboard mill in Lewiston ID. In 1998 the company changed
its focus to solid wood products (lumber and plywood) through
a program of thinning selected plantations, pruning and by extending
rotation length. Plantations are established and maintained using
both mechanical and chemical techniques. No commercial harvesting
has taken place to date.
Clone and cultural testing began in 1993 by testing 45 available
clones. In 1999 Potlatch began an in-house breeding program with
the objective of producing 3000 new hybrids each year. A three-stage
screening program will select the best one to two percent for
deployment in 15 to 17 years. Spacing trials initially focused
on producing pulp logs with tree spacing ranging from 1.2m to
3.6m (row spacing maintained at 3m). Trials begun in 2000 focused
on sawlog spacing up to 4.3m by 4.3m. Potlatch supports several
research programs in the Northwest.
The Boise Cascade fiber farm, which is adjacent to Potlatch,
began operation in 1991. Boise Cascade also began its operation
on existing irrigated farmland in anticipation of a diminishing
supply of public timber. The farm covers more than 7,300 ha with
an objective of producing 170,000 bone dry tons of pulp chips
per year. Trees are irrigated and fertilized using a drip system
that is managed using a combination of manual and automated systems.
Harvesting operations began in 1997. Trees are felled with an
excavator using a mechanical shear and are forwarded to a landing
with a front end loader. The front end loader keeps the logs cleaner
and reduces site disturbance. Trees are debarked and chipped on
site and blown directly into chip trailers for shipment to the
mill. Operations run 16 hours per day, 5 days per week all year
and produce over 400 green tons of chips per day.
Boise Cascade maintains an active clone development and testing
program. Clones are screened using a two- stage process that selects
the top one or two clones with deployment in 6 years. Studies
are done on weed control, fertilization, tree spacing, irrigation
and pest control. The Boise Cascade and Potlatch management teams
co-hosted a very nice lunch.
On the return trip to Vancouver, the tour group took advantage
of the opportunity to sample some very nice wine from the Flerchinger
Winery near Hood River. They were not entirely out of stock when
our group left.
Thanks to Ray and Sandra Ethell, the staff at CH2M Hill and to
the many staff at Potlatch and Boise Cascade for providing very
informative presentations and patiently answering all our questions.
Special thanks to Jud Isebrands for organizing an excellent tour.
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IPC 2000, Tour B
- Florance Niemi, RPF, Daishowa-Marubeni International Ltd.
Due to a combination of good management and a little bit of good
luck, Tour B was an excellent opportunity to observe the use of
poplars for environmental remediation as well as experience a
variety of ecosystems along the Snoqualmie River.
The tour started on September 28 with sunny skies and a stop
at the Mt. St. Helen’s Volcanic Visitor Center near Silver Lake,
Washington. Tour participants were given the opportunity to view
the centers’ many displays of the volcano that erupted on May
18, 1980 and distributed ash over much of the northern hemisphere.
The Tour B Guide for the first day was Dr. Jon Johnson of Washington
State University. The group visited Wilcox Farms, a commercial
farm that produces eggs and milk along with other products. This
farm is using environmental plantings of poplars to reduce the
increasing soil nitrogen content resulting from long term disposal
of animal waste. Major concerns are the leaching of nitrates into
the ground water and the contamination of a nearby creek through
surface drainage. Poplar plantings are also being used in riparian
areas to reverse the destruction of salmon habitat that has come
about through the harvesting of trees along fish bearing streams.
The trees provide shading that moderates water temperature. The
last stop on the first day of the tour was at the Washington State
University Farm where Dr. Toby Bradshaw provided a brief overview
of his genetics research.
On the second day, tour guide Dr. Reinhard (Reini) Stettler provided
a memorable "Day Along the Snoqualmie River". The variation
in precipitation from the lower elevation to higher elevation
areas was clearly demonstrated as we traveled up and down the
valley. At the first stop, a high elevation area near the foot
of the Snoqualmie Pass, we walked through an old growth conifer
stand in heavy rain, making good use of the umbrellas provided
at the IPC 2000 Conference. As we moved back down the valley to
Three Forks Park, the rain subsided to an intermittent drizzle.
Here, Dr. Stettler pointed out the dynamics of an unregulated
river, and its impacts on the successional stages of the adjacent
riparian forests. The study of this area is used as a high school
science project, so the changes to the physical and biological
systems are being well documented over time. The final stop of
Tour B was at Carnation Farms, along the banks of the Snoqualmie
River. Now under sunny skies typical of the lower elevations,
we viewed a 40 hectare Short Rotation Intensive Silviculture Hybrid
Poplar Plantation of Pacifica Papers which demonstrates a feasible
alternative as an agriculture crop in sensitive riparian areas.
At Carnation Farms, Tour B came to an end, with some participants
returning to Seattle, and some continuing on to Canada for Tour
C.
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Activities related to Populus in Canada
Cees van Oosten, SilviConsult Woody Crops Technology Inc.
This article is an excerpt of the Canadian Report to the 21st
Session of International Poplar Commission for the Period
1996-1999 that I prepared for Poplar Council of Canada on
March 31, 2000. For full details, a copy of this report can be
obtained on request from the Poplar Council of Canada. Aspen refers
to Populus tremuloides and its hybrids; poplar refers to
Populus deltoides, nigra, trichocarpa, balsamifera,
maximowiczii and their hybrids.
Statistics
The Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (CCFM) has
established the National Forestry Database Program (NFDP) in order
to compile a comprehensive national forestry database to which
provincial (and territorial) resource agencies contribute. The
Canadian Forest Service (CFS) is responsible for
the management and maintenance of the database. The last
compilation of the database took place in 1990 and 1991, with
the exception of the Quebec data, which were processed in 1994.
Please refer to: http://nfdp.ccfm.org.
The origin of the poplar inventory data varies from province to
province. None of the data distinguish between natural and planted
poplars. Natural stands form the overwhelming majority of the
inventory.
Canada’s inventory of Populus is estimated at 3.7 billion
m3. Stands classed as "poplar stands" (with
Populus as the main component) contain 1.6 billion m3
of Populus, stands classed as "non-poplar stands"
contain the balance, or 2.1 billion m3 of Populus.
Aspen makes up 79% of the total inventory. Alberta contains 31.3%
of the total Populus inventory, followed by Ontario with
18.6% and British Columbia with 15.9%.
Policy and Legislation
Provincial governments have full jurisdiction over forest management
regulations. British Columbia adopted a tax policy with supporting
regulations pertaining to Populus and Salix management.
B.C. recognizes Populus and Salix species"
intensively cultivated in plantations" as primary agricultural
production. Populus and Salix managed beyond the
12-year window do not qualify as primary agricultural production.
To limit rotations to 12 years excludes the potential to grow
plantations for the production of saw logs and peeler logs. B.C.
Assessment hopes to address this issue, but no target date has
been set.
Alberta is conducting a major review of municipal tax policy
that could have important implications for woodlot management
on private land. At present, woodlots are not considered agriculture.
The Woodlot Owners Association of Alberta has been involved in
formulating a new tax policy that would qualify privately held
managed woodlots as agricultural land for taxation purposes, depending
on the woodlot management plan. This policy would include private
woodlots, owned and managed by corporations.
Other provinces do not have specific policies pertaining to management
of poplar or willow.
Ontario considers intensively managed poplar plantations as a
forest management activity. Under the Managed Forest Tax Incentive
Program private forestland qualifies for a reduced residential
tax, but requires a silviculture plan that is approved and audited
by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.
Quebec encourages planting of fast growing poplars on farmland
and makes various subsidies available to private landowners, but
the Province does not have a specific poplar policy to support
this.
Production of Aspen and Poplar
The National Forestry Database (NFDP) only recognizes softwoods
and hardwoods and separate production data for aspen and poplar
are not available on a national or provincial basis.
There are approximately 7,000 hectares of managed hybrid poplar
plantations in Canada, mostly established by corporations and
one provincial government organization. To date a very small percentage
of wood production comes from plantations (Domtar Inc. in Ontario
and Scott Paper Ltd. in BC). Cultivation of hybrid poplar is expanding
in Quebec and Alberta and has stagnated in BC.
Concerns about a future shortage of aspen fibre have prompted
several forest products companies in Alberta to concentrate on
more intensive management of aspen and to develop the potential
of hybrid aspen. To date, most planting of aspen has been done
with open-pollinated, wild seed collections. Plantation activity
with aspen and hybrid aspen is still limited. Planting of improved
(hybrid) aspen is on private land and mostly in trial plantations.
Selection and Breeding
Most selection and breeding activities in Canada concentrated
on hybrids between Populus deltoides and Populus
nigra (and to a lesser degree Populus maximowiczii,
trichocarpa and balsamifera). These activities have
yielded many poplar varieties that have been used across Canada.
The Ministère des Ressources naturelles du Québec
- Direction de la recherche forestière (MRN) - has been
breeding poplar since 1971, creating more than 1000 families.
The program tested thousands of clonal varieties in 100 clonal
tests and also evaluated hybrids from abroad. MRN is planning
to conduct more breeding in 2001.
Clonal varieties from the University of Toronto selection and
breeding program (discontinued several years ago) continue to
be tested by several forest companies in Alberta.
The Shelterbelt Centre of the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Agency
(PFRA) of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada at Indian Head (Saskatchewan)
selects drought tolerant and cold hardy clonal (hybrid) poplar
varieties that show good pest resistance and have acceptable wood
quality. Over 200 different clonal varieties are under test in
Saskatchewan. Until recently, selection or breeding concentrated
on shelterbelt performance and not on performance as fibre plantations
of hybrid poplar. PFRA started a breeding program to fill this
gap. Forest companies interested in growing and managing poplar
for fibre have access to material resulting from the expanded
selection and breeding efforts undertaken at the Centre.
Several western forest products companies founded the Western
Boreal Aspen Cooperative (WBAC) to "develop genetically
improved trembling aspen and hybrid clones that will yield fast
growing, disease resistant trees with good form and fibre qualities".
Exploratory breeding work started in 1998. WBAC undertook additional
breeding in 2000 to test protocols. Early results were encouraging
and WBAC planned its first controlled crosses in 2000.
Challenges
Researchers and poplar growers face challenges with the Canadian
climate and some disease problems that require solutions. For
all southern regions, knowledge about performance of hybrid poplar
is reasonably good. With the exception of the coastal and southern
interior regions of B.C., lack of cold hardiness and frost tolerance
of many hybrid varieties are problematic. Conventional breeding,
possibly in conjunction with genetic engineering, will have to
address this.
Spring soil moisture deficits in recent years hamper plantation
efforts in some regions in northern Alberta. Proper choice of
planting stock and drought tolerance of the clonal material is
therefore an important aspect of management. The PFRA has begun
work on drought adaptation of the best clonal varieties.
Another challenge is the disease Septoria musiva. This
disease limits the use of productive hybrid poplar varieties in
the eastern Ontario and southern Quebec regions. Possible future
impact in the boreal Prairie region is unknown.
Technology Development and Transfer
The Shelterbelt Centre of the PFRA promotes "economic
security, rural development and agricultural sustainability by
producing hardy trees and shrubs for prairie farmers and other
eligible clients". The Centre is involved in tree improvement
(including poplar), planting technology, weed control, pest control
and agro-forestry. For more information, please refer to: http://www.agr.ca/pfra/pfintroe.htm
.
In Quebec the "Ministère des Ressources naturelles"
(MRN), in cooperation with other Quebec-based institutions, plans
to compile and report results of previous research and trial activities
in poplar culture to develop the basis for technology transfer.
There is a need to ensure a successful transition from increased
availability of poplar stock to successful poplar establishment
and management. The MRN has been active in poplar selection and
breeding for years and appears in a good position to successfully
carry out this needed technology transfer.
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Treasurer’s Report
- Lee Charleson, Poplar Council of Canada
With significant revenues in the fiscal year
2000, I am pleased to report that the year closed with a net operating
surplus of $8348.24. The PCC Secretariat undertook two major projects
on behalf of the CFS and was paid for services provided. The contract
work offset the 1999 deficit. In addition to membership dues,
revenue for the year also included a federal grant and interest
from investments.
The IPC meeting was a successful event for the
year. Although expenses did exceed revenue for this event in the
fiscal year, the PCC portion of the conference overall did not
run at a loss. This is due to conference income received in the
previous year. The federal grant was used to produce the IPC 2000
National Report.
The Secretariat is continuing to finish-up and
close the two CFS projects as reflected in the accounts payable
and this will see the project and Carbon Budget account balances
go down.
Once again the GIC reserves remain intact.
The budget for the current year will see a return
to a normal level of activity. To date, there are no projects
bringing in additional revenue but nor are there the extra expenses
that those projects require.
The PCC financial statement was prepared by Harris
S. May in June, 2000. Mr. May judged the accounts to be in order.
Please note that these are unaudited statements.
Top
New
PCC Secretary - Treasurer
The Poplar Council welcomes Lee Charleson to
the position of Secretary-Treasurer.
Lee’s background is in forestry business and
regeneration consulting. In addition to projects in business research,
tree seedling adjudication and event planning, Lee was involved
with the establishment of an Alberta-based company, the Western
Boreal Aspen Co-operative (WBAC). Lee currently provides management
services to WBAC from their office in Edmonton.
Lee has worked for industry, universities, and
government in Canada and Australia. After earning a BSF (Forest
Biology) from UBC, Lee moved on to graduate with an MBA from UWA
(Australia). Lee is a Registered Professional Forester from B.C.,
an FIT in the Alberta Registered Professional Foresters Association,
and a member of the Canadian Institute of Forestry.
The position of Secretary-Treasurer was previously
held by Dave Cheyne. We thank Dave for his contributions to the
Poplar Council and we wish him and his family success.
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