If the best time to plant a tree was 5 years ago, then the best time to breed a tree was 20 years ago.
The Open4st team is looking for research partners in the NorthEast, Midwestern and Central US that will plant large scale (1+ acres) aspen materials to help find improved clones and increase our knowledge. Qualified participants will be provided with labeled aspen materials, documentation and support to grow trees in a research field trial. The results will be entered in a database and made available to the participants and researchers. This should be a rewarding experience for everyone as we share ideas, results and sustainable technologies. These aspen trees could be planted with "purpose grown" objectives for fuelwood, pulp, lumber, wildlife or phytoremediation. To participate please read the details below and Contact Us if your interested.
Potential Trial Research Questions:
How do these aspens compare to traditional Hybrid Poplars?
DN34 will be included as one of the control clones. Do we need other clones like NM6?
Will hybrid vigor be observed in the F2 AGs, double hybrids and double hybrid back crosses?
A mix of AxA albas (eg. 83xAA04) and hybrid aspens will be included. The parents CAG204, ,CAG177 and NFA will be included for comparison. Will these be enough?
How will herbicide treatments affect the planting?
Aspen may be more sensitive to herbicides so this will need to be carefully considered. See:
Effects of Chemical Weed Control and Seedling Planting Depth on Survival and Growth of Aspen
PROGENY TESTING OF NATIVE ASPENS AND THEIR HYBRIDS FOR BIOMASS PRODUCTION IN MICHIGAN
Should the dead one year trees be replaced?
Perhaps record and replace dead trees that died the first year.
How variable are the different types of aspen families?
These clonal trials may not have enough progeny in each family to observe within family variation but similar crosses may allow between family observations.
How does aspen bare root stock performance compare to unrooted cuttings of good rooting aspens.
Perhaps plant the site with rooted stock and the border with cuttings. Consider planting some 8' poles.
How do the new CAG crosses compare to the sibling clones CAG204 and CAG177?
The 2xB and 15xB CAG families performed very well in the nursery so additional selections will be planned for the new CAG families.
Should the plantings use 4 inline trees per plot or 4 trees planted in 2x2 fashion?
Four inline trees have the 2 inner trees with 2 related sides. A 2x2 setup allows all 4 trees to have 3 related sides.
How will these trials check aspen clones for figured wood?
Two year clones will be screened for "some" figure in the nursery via a split wood test. Hopefully other tests will become available to test for high figure at a young age.
Projections for Spring 2017 trial stock:
The Phase 4 (P4) breeding progeny will undergo nursery selection in 2015-16. Below are rough estimates for the available stock in 2017 using P4 selection projections and ramping up previous selections.
The 2015 nursery contains 319 clones represented by 57 different families, 43 of which are from recent McGovern Breeding Program (MBP) crosses and 14 are from the wild or outside programs that include clones. See the Phase 4 Breeding Matrix for details on the most recent MBP families.
There were ~146 aspen clonal selections from the 2015 nursery that will be carried forward to 2016. These selections had a 65% average survival rate for the DC and ODC1-0 stock types. Note that most of this material was planted with 6" cuttings and diameters ranging from 13 - 4 millimetres. We speculate that aspen field grade cuttings of 10-12" will have much higher survival rates.
The ~146 selections will be planted as 3 mini-stools per clone that should yield 7' of field grade cuttings per stool and ~20 cutting/clone. Each clone will also have a 10 - 6" cutting replication test to help support the vigor survival selection. Therefore we expect 20-24 field grade cuttings per clone depending on size (10" or 12") and nursery productivity.
Control Clones: CAG204, CAG177, NFA, A502, AGRR1, DN34
P3 Bender Aspens: (AG15, 83AA66, 83AA74, etc)
Border control: about 100 trees.
Sample planting via the above clones: 560 (P4) + 304 (P3) + 96 (Controls) + 64 (~Bender) +96 (Border) = 1120 trees on about 2 acres at 9' x 9' spacing.
Open4st Responsibilities:
Supply cooperators with test material and support documentation via email and site links.
Create an online database to track progress. Site and Cooperator information will be private to Open4st.
Cooperator 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.
Can provide each test tree with a weed free environment of at least 4' radius for the first 3 years.
Perform scheduled tree measurements, allow site visits and share results with the open4st team.
Assist open4st with the cost of the material and shipping.
Example Large Scale Scenario for Testing/Scaling Hybrid Aspen (CAG) clones:
User: The farmer/landowner who owns and plants the trees.
MBP: McGovern Breeding Program:
The User determines ideal field plot and block sizes. This example will use 4 tree square plot (4 trees in about 30’ x 30’ in a square, not linear), which may allow enough space within the plot to avoid mixing neighboring CAG whips with other nearby aspen clones. It also assumes 5' tree shelters will be used for each 12" cutting. This strategy may work for large scale operations that need to maximize the planting stock availability (many 12" cuttings vs. fewer 8' whips).
The User may consider using a mixed strategy by planting a limited number of clones at wide spaced 4 tree plots then a larger number of clones at say 9’ x 9’ spacing via 2-4 trees per plot. This would be a more conservative approach by testing more clones, using less land while still testing how CAG materials will work at wide spacings.
MBP sends the User Phase 4 CAG and CAG x T or G 12” cuttings selected for good vigor survival rates.
MBP may supply 4, 8, 12 or 16 cuttings per clone per User & MBP resources.
The User plants the CAG trees on fertile sites with access to harvest the whips.
The User will plant other CAG plots separately to avoid mixing of clones. Perhaps surround each CAG plot with TE materials.
The User will store the cuttings at about 32 degrees prior to planting.
The User should soak cuttings in water for 1-2 days prior to planting.
The User may test the JRM Soil Moist Root Dip applied to the cuttings.
See: Increasing Growth and Drought Tolerance Using Symbiotic Microorganisms
If weeds are a problem then the User should lay down a 10” square landscape fabric with a center hole for the cutting.
The User may use an 2-4” auger to make a 12-14” deep hole for the cuttings.
The User should plant the cutting about 11” deep and map tree locations.
The User will select clones for propagation and harvest the trees after about 5-7 years.
The User may want to leave some selected clone plots uncut to assess them at age 10 for further selection potential.
The User may want to start expanding production of select trial clones after the initial 6 year harvest.
The User may harvest whips from selected clones after snow cover leaves the following year and store in coolers. Perhaps a square 4 tree plot on 35’ centers could generate 1000 12” cuttings after the initial harvest at 6 years. It would require about 56 acres to generate 500,000 12” cuttings. See details below.
Expected whip density might be 200 6’ usable whips (4 tree square plots at 35’ centers (70’ x 70’ = 4900 sq. ft) / 4’ sucker spacings) = 289 less 89 small stems/contaminants. 200 6’ whips could generate 1000’ of field grade 12” cuttings (less 200’ for waste/tips).
How many acres to generate 500,000 cuttings? 44100 sq. ft/acre / 4900 sq/ft in a 4 tree plot = 9,000 trees per acre. 500,000/9000= 56 acres.
The User will cut the whips into 12” cuttings, place in plastic bags and stored at 32 degrees until planting in clonal field trials.
The User could re-cut earlier trial plantings to ramp-up selected clones faster.
Process large diameter whip stems > 10 mm into 10-12” cuttings.
Process smaller diameter stems < 10 mm into 8” cuttings for nursery material and WASP and ASP.