How Research Forests Help Grow Healthier Trees

NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / January 26, 2023 / Rayonier

If you could go back in time 50 years and observe a commercial forest, you would notice a vast difference from the forests today. Modern trees grow faster, straighter and healthier than their ancestors. Why is this, exactly?

It's not because the climate's become more hospitable or because there's less potential for disease. It's also not due to genetic engineering experiments. The superior commercial forests we have today are a product of rigorous and on-going forest research.

An introduction to forest research

For over 60 years, Rayonier has dedicated hundreds of acres of forests to researching and producing seed.

We use natural tree breeding methods that produce the tallest, strongest and healthiest forests. Today, we have over 200 acres of seed orchards in production. They produce more than 90 percent of our seedlings.

For an inside look at what goes into this research, we talked to Rayonier's Manager of Genetic Resources David Barker, PhD.

"One of the main areas we focus on are what's known as ‘field tests' or ‘progeny tests,'" David explains. "These are research studies in which we try to determine which pine families grow the best in terms of how fast they grow, how straight they grow and how disease-resistant they are."

In the Southeast, Rayonier researches loblolly and slash pine and focuses on reducing their susceptibility to common diseases like pitch canker and fusiform rust. The researchers observe how trees from different families grow over time, then select the best performers.

"Once we have the information from the study, we know which families we want to choose to make seeds from. Those are the ones we graft into seed orchards."

Rayonier's seed orchards look different from your typical commercial forest. David explains that's because we space the trees further apart to encourage lots of big branches which yield better pinecone production.

An overview of the tree research process

The research team is constantly working to improve our tree families.

But unlike other crops that grow and produce quickly, such as grain or produce, tree breeding and genetic improvement has a longer cycle.

Even when a tree seems to grow well, the researchers have to ensure it is the genetics (rather than solely the growing conditions) that made them high performers.

"So, if we have some trees we've identified that seem good, we still need to wait several years to grow seedlings from those trees to make sure they're good parents," David explains.