ArborGen Seed Orchard

Summary

Aubergine's genetic tree stock operation in New Zealand and Australia focuses on breeding trees through open and controlled pollination to meet customers' specific forest improvement needs. The orchard serves as a base for a varietal program, selecting superior genetics for traits like growth, branching habit, and wood density. The process involves controlled pollination, irrigation, and pruning to ensure healthy, vigorous trees. The harvested cones are processed to extract seeds, which are then cleaned, sorted, and sent to nurseries for planting, aiming to enhance forest productivity and product applications.

Takeaways

• 🌳 Aubergine provides genetic tree stocks to customers in New Zealand and Australia through open and controlled pollination methods.
• 🌱 The company faces challenges in meeting the diverse needs of customers, which vary based on their forest sites and silviculture practices.
• 🌿 Aubergine's orchard produces controlled pollinated seed, making the company self-sufficient and able to tailor to customer needs.
• 🏞️ The orchard is strategically located near the sea for optimal flowering and close to the Otaio River for irrigation, both critical for seed growth.
• 🚫 Control pollination involves isolating flowers to prevent external pollen contact, ensuring genetic purity of the seeds.
• 🌼 The breeding program focuses on five key traits: growth straightness, branching habit, frost resistance, wood density, and disease resistance.
• 🌱 The orchard is constantly upgraded with new genetics from ongoing breeding trials to improve tree stock for future forests.
• 🌲 Grafted root stock with old physiologically material on top is used to give trees vigor, enabling early flowering and seed production.
• 🌰 Harvested cones are processed to extract seeds, which are then cleaned, sorted, and treated to ensure high-quality planting stock.
• 🌿 The orchard practices meticulous care, including pruning, irrigation, and foliage sampling, to maintain tree health and productivity.
• 🌱 The investment in genetic improvement is crucial for the long-term success of forestry, ensuring future products meet market demands.

Q & A

What does the term 'aubergine' refer to in the context of the script?

In the context of the script, 'aubergine' seems to be a typographical error. It should likely refer to 'Arbonaut', a company that provides genetic tree stocks to customers in New Zealand and Australia.

What are the methods used for breeding trees in the script?

The trees are bred through both open and controlled pollination methods.

What are the challenges faced in providing planting stock to customers?

Challenges include the need to continuously improve forests, meeting individual customer needs based on their forest site and silviculture, and providing end products that meet their requirements.

How does the orchard ensure self-sufficiency in controlled pollinated seed?

The orchard produces all the control pollinated seed for the company, allowing them to be as self-sufficient as possible.

What is the significance of the orchard's location near the sea?

The proximity to the sea provides a good flowering site, which is critical for the trees' pollination process.

Why is irrigation important for the orchard?

Irrigation is important to ensure the trees grow healthy and strong, which is essential for producing good seed.

How is control pollination achieved in the orchard?

Control pollination is achieved by isolating the flower on the tree during its receptive period in July and August, preventing external pollen from reaching it, and then introducing the desired pollen.

What are the five traits or characteristics that the breeding program focuses on improving?

The breeding program focuses on improving growth straightness, branching habit, frost resistance, wood density, and the trees' overall genetic traits.

How does the orchard manage the genetic improvement of the trees?

The orchard manages genetic improvement by introducing new genetics from ongoing breeding programs and trials, replacing lower-ranked trees with better genetics, and introducing new varietals into the seed orchard.

What is the process for harvesting and processing the cones for seed?

The cones are harvested at the end of the year, air-dried, and then processed through a series of steps including kilning, dehumidifying, cracking, and separating the seeds from the cones and wings.

How does the orchard ensure the genetic integrity of the seeds?

The orchard ensures genetic integrity by carefully harvesting the cones, processing them to separate the seeds, and using machines to sort and clean the seeds, all while tracking their origin.

What is the purpose of the foliage sampling and irrigation monitoring in the orchard?

Foliage sampling and irrigation monitoring are done to identify nutrient status and soil moisture, allowing for the application of fertilizer and adjustment of irrigation to maintain the health and vigor of the trees.

How does the orchard's approach to pruning differ from traditional forestry practices?

The orchard aims to keep the tree low and encourage multiple stems for flowering, which is the opposite of traditional forestry practices that focus on a single straight stem.

What is the long-term goal of the genetic improvement program mentioned in the script?

The long-term goal is to focus on genetic improvements to ensure that the products from the forest have a wider range of applications and are marketable in the future, considering the 30-year time frame of forestry projects.