Transcript National Seed Laboratory

National Seed Laboratory
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USDA Forest Service
National Center for Seed Technology
National Mission
• All native plants
• Protocol development: germ, clean,
store seeds
• Tech transfer: training, handbooks,
individual
• Seed testing on a fee-for-service basis
• Germplasm conservation and research
seed distribution
NSL Germplasm Conservation
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For FS and FS cooperators
Cooperating w/ ARS
• Fort Collins NCGRP security backup
• Capacity to enter accessions into GRIN
(FSNS numbers are Forest Service)
• Wrote FS ash collection plan
cooperatively with the Ames PI station
• Sharing ash seed and resources
NSL Facts
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Two operational locations
• Dry Branch GA
• Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration
Center at Purdue W. Lafayette, IN is an
additional location
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Second base of operations for midwest
Gives NSL better cooperation with FS and university
genetics
As a coop service oriented facility, NSL has
many contacts in forestry and
conservation agencies and organizations.
Ash Germplasm Collections
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2006
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start, learned how to do it
fair to poor seed year: 20 lots collected
Began x-raying seed for Rose Lake PMC
Drafted seed collection plan
2007
• almost no seed produced
• Some areas had seed: 60 lots collected
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2008
• phenomenal seed year: 420+ seed lots
• Techniques are pretty refined now
• Cooperative efforts gain traction
FS Fraxinus Collection Plan
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Focused: EAB infestations (EAB
viewer)
Defined seed collection areas (2 to
several counties)
• Derived from EAB viewer, Omernik III
regions, species range maps
• Mostly a way to assign and track
collections
• Collections were to more or less be
spread across collection area
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Worked with Ames PI station to write
FS Fraxinus Collection Plan
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Wild trees, some provision for urban
collections
No selection for phenotype
Healthy tree but could be EAB
attacked
Quantity to collect
• Min: about 1 quart of seed (1 to 2
inches of seed on bottom of grocery
sack)
• Max: Full grocery sack
FS Fraxinus Collection Plan
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Evaluate seed for weevils – at least 50%
good
Voucher specimens
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Leaf if available (put in data sheet/envelope)
Twig sample (placed in the bag w/ the seeds)
Seeds cluster if possible (put in bag)
Photos
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Close up of bark
Whole tree
Slide the leaf into the envelope diagonally making sure that
all the leaflets are flat and not folded over on themselves.
This will allow the leaf to dry flat and to be more easily
identifiable.
Seed lot number
Two photos are taken of each tree. One is of the trunk and one is of the full tree. Take the
photo of the trunk first. Before photographing the trunk, pin the data sheet to the tree so that
the lot number is clearly visible, but off to the bottom in order to show as much of the trunk as
possible. Frame both photos vertically as shown here. Taking the photos in this order will
ensure the photos can be matched to the correct seed lots.
FS Fraxinus Collection Plan
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Make seeds available for research and
restoration
Seek out researchers to collaborate with
NSL will distribute
• Collecting enough seed to make sure supplies
will be sufficient (quart, full bags)
• Seed increase possible, but a long term project
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Objective is the restoration of ash to
landscape
2006 Cooperative Efforts
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Attempted to recruit seed collectors
from the general public
• Put together kits with all needed
supplies and made up a training pp
• Did outreach through extension service
at Purdue – master gardeners
• Distributed about 12 kits but received
no seeds --- needed a more direct
approach
2008 Cooperative Collections
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Focused on special groups to collect seeds
Received $37M from Forest Health
Director
• Ash identified as one of 4 top priority
species/species groups to be targeted for
conservation because of invasive pathogen or
pest
• Allowed us to buy supplies for our collectors
• Most $$ taken to fight wild fires before we
could get it granted to cooperators for travel
• Money was restored so we may grant it this
year but money is also needed to clean the
2008 seeds.
2008 Cooperative Collections
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20 cooperating entities
• 2 Arboreta: Holden, Stranahan
• 3 Metro parks in Dayton & Cleveland OH
• 4 Universities: Kent State, Ohio State, Purdue,
U MN,
• 3 DNR: PA, IN, OH (urban programs)
• 1 TNC: Blue River Project, IN
• 2 Hoosier and Chippewa National Forest
• 1 Bloomington IN Parks and Recreation
• 2 Timber companies, 1 private consultants
• 2 FS Northern Research Station (HTIRC at
Purdue, Delaware OH)
2008 Cooperative Collections
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Conducted 6 workshops (4 in OH, 1
IN, 1 MN) with the cooperators
This focused effort gave a much
better result than trying to collect
from the general public.
Demonstrated that there are well
qualified willing cooperators who with
a little more financial support could
do much more.
Other FS Ash Conservation Efforts
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National Forest System has its own plan to preserve
germplasm from NF in the North.
• 100 trees per forest per species
• Submit to the NPGS through the NSL plan
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Kim Steiner at Penn State has been given a grant to assess
the condition and meaure the 30 year old white and green
ash provenance tests.
March 2010 HTIRC at Purdue will host a conference on the
ash resource
• Document and highlight the importance of the ash resource
• Hopefully develop support for breeding and restoration work
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The last two items above are funded by grants from FH
Needs - technical
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Assess genetic variation to guide future
collections - when do we have enough sources
collected?
Provenance work (funded)
 Molecular work to describe gene flow, outcrossing
patterns, level of variability at the gene level (needs
more funding)
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Nursery, breeding, transgenic, and seed orchard
research (needed for restoration work)
 ID sources of EAB resistance
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Needs –
Policy/Financial/Adminstrative
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Need agency leadership support to go beyond the grass
roots efforts
Need to match up agency resources
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NSL contributes
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Seed testing facilities, expertise
Conducting workshops
Development of techniques
Network of cooperators
Seed storage and distribution facilities
How do the various plans fit together?
How do we as a group engage cooperators?
What specific objectives does each agency have?
Can we form a unified budget for this project?