This document describes high level aspen testing, deployment and sustainability strategies from Patrick McGovern and Brad Bender’s Open4st hybrid aspen project. It is intended to seek University level forestry research using the open4st aspen materials and promote open science research.
The open4st project promotes Open Research to advance scientific knowledge and collaboration. Patenting of ideas and plant materials may hinder forward progress and increase the time to market. Ideally, a project should be funded at the onset and all materials and information made freely available to appropriate participants. The open4st project does not use or produce any Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO). Open4st materials are intended to be used in purpose grown plantations to relieve the resource pressure from old growth forest stands and may provide more plant diversity. While much our recent materials have been developed with self-funded resources, we hope to partner with select research partners to test these materials in multiple regions.
The primary Open4st goal is to develop vigorous, good rooting aspen materials that are durable, more native and "effectively sterile" (see Open4st - McGovern Aspen Breeding Strategy). The short term goal is to select vigorous, good rooting selections (see: Ope4st News) and enroll them in Open4st or university regional field trials. The long term goal is to engage in a Phase 5 breeding project to leverage the best clones and improve desirable traits.
A regional aspen program may provide a synergistic, sustainable resource for fiber demand and plant/wildlife diversity via the regenerated aspen growth that requires no re-planting. Hybrid aspens may provide the following sustainable attributes:
Environmental sustainability via aspens suckering nature that allows less trees to be planted per acre. Open4st hybrid aspens will be selected for more upland sites that don't require irrigation or fertilizers. Post harvest benefits include rapid site establishment, no replanting or need for herbicide applications which may be desirable near watershed locations.
Economic sustainability via the existing forestry workforce/infrastructure to harvest and transport aspen materials.
Market sustainability via a variety of existing aspen markets such as biomass fuel, pulpwood, packaging, OSB, sawlogs and veneer.
Open4st Project Areas:
The following are components that could be of interest for University level research:
Forest Genetics: The dioecious nature of Poplars provides many opportunities to observe genetics at a practical level. The Open4st Breeding Strategy provides an outline of F1, F2 and back-cross strategies and testing. It also describes the potential for breeding effectively sterile trees to prevent intermixing hybrids with native gene pools.
Phase 4 Breeding Program: The Phase 4 Breeding Strategy Matrix lists the primary Phase 4 materials.
Figured Aspen: Aspen trees can have wavy, undulating grain patterns known as figured wood. These characteristics may add considerable value as lumber or veneer and have been found to be heritable in aspen. We located a native aspen tree (GG12) with high figure in the butt log, at 25', ~40' and in a nearby 3 year old sapling sucker stem and integrated this clone into our breeding program. Over 600 seedlings were planted in 2016 nursery having the GG12 male parent.
Cutting Propagation and Multi-Stage Establishment: Aspens often propagate via root suckers. Open4st aspen selections have high rooting rates from dormant cuttings ( 65% average survival rate for 2015 selections). The multi-stage establishment process combines these benefits by planting fewer trees per acre, harvesting the those trees at age 5-7 and allowing them to restock the site to be harvested on 20+- year rotations.
Low Cost Stem Protection: We have found that attaching woven textile fabric (silt fabric) tree "shields" helps protect aspens for the first few years against high deer, rabbit, vole and herbicide injury. This may be more cost effective than 5' plastic tree shelters.
Active Shoot propagation: The Active Shoot Propagation process involves starting actively growing Poplar shoots or dormant cuttings in high humidity, well drained environment to maintain the vigor of the existing meristematic shoot and encourage root production.
r4st Database Program: The r4st database application provides online access to the project clones, families and related experiment data. It uses the open source Postgresql database and the DBKiss online application to access the tables and views. It is designed to allow users to view/query tables and the ability to download data to CSV files. The related 24dev-demo project incorporates the r4st database model as a template for rapid database prototyping. See also: Open4st Pedigree Table - Database derived family pedigree listing.
Competition Indexer: The Competition Indexer Program is a tool to help interpret how each tree interacts with its surrounding competition trees and borders. This competition indexer (CI) program is primarily based upon the paper, "Evaluation of field performance of poplar clones using selected competition indices" by Brodie, Chandler; DeBell, D.S.
Pytoremediation: Poplars have a history of helping to stabilize and restore contaminated sites. A UK company (EADHA) uses aspen for reclaiming these sites. The diverse nature of Open4st aspens may provide high selection opportunities on contaminated sites
Annual Project Updates: The Open4st Project Updates provides annual project updates.
Open4st Video: The Open4st video created for a crowd funding event.
Open4st Responsibilities:
Supply cooperators with test material, consultation and support documentation via email and site links.
Update an online database to track progress.
Partner Responsibilities:
We are looking for research partners (cooperators) with the experience and desire to test aspen materials. Below are some preferred cooperator attributes:
Cooperators have reviewed the Open4st site, the Disclaimer/Copyright, related materials and processes.
Plant materials produced by Open4st are released under the Public Domain, but full acknowledgement of Open4st is required when this material is recognized or published.
Have previous experience with willow or poplar materials.
Perform scheduled tree measurements, allow site visits and openly share results with the open4st team.
Where possible, assist open4st with the cost of the material, shipping, consultation and travel expenses to applicable meetings.
Potential Research Areas:
The following document lists "Important Hybrid Aspen Research Priorities" that would benefit Open4st and forestry research at large.