Growing bigger trees faster: Tree improvement at Parkindale Seed Orchard
The tree improvement program at the Parkindale Seed Orchard has resulted in the ability to grow larger trees faster, meaning more wood can be obtained out of the same amount of land, maximizing its value.
Parkindale produces millions of well-adapted, genetically superior seeds for Juniper Tree Nursery in Juniper, N.B. These seeds then become the seedlings tree planters use to plant the future forest.
Orchard supervisor Courtney McDonald sees the importance of tree improvement every day. After all, operations at Parkindale go year-round, with the goal of producing the superior quality seeds that grow the trees upon which the entire Forest Supply Chain is based.
“It all starts at Parkindale with our tree improvement program and testing,” Courtney said.
Depending on the time of year, Parkindale is bustling with a variety of activities, from tree breeding, pollen collection, tree grafting and orchard maintenance.
Cone collecting, the orchard’s largest program, begins in mid-summer. These cones are then processed and the seeds are shipped off to the Juniper tree nursery to grow the seedlings that will be planted the following year. The 2024 cone collecting season was a record breaking one – with a total of 56,600 litres picked – enough to fill a standard swimming pool.
The trees produced through the grafting program are planted at Parkindale – white spruce, red spruce, black spruce, Norway spruce, white pine and Jack pine – and are studied as they grow.
Trees are tested for desired traits like wood quality, structural integrity and resilience to pests, disease and climate change. The tree families that perform the strongest in these areas are then selected for breeding. The resulting offspring are then planted in test sites across New Brunswick and Nova Scotia to determine their performance across multiple climatic zones. This helps shape a better understanding of which families are better adapted to different climatic conditions.
More than 45 years of tree improvement research shows that identifying the best tree families for tree growth also produces tree families that are more resilient to climate change, insects and disease.
“This work is important because it not only puts us on a way to sustain our business going forward through increased yields to supply our mills, but it also maintains diversity in our species and allows us to opt for trees that are more resilient,” Courtney said.
“We can increase the health of the forest by ensuring we have healthy, strong trees to deploy on the land base.”
Learn more about how JDI approaches sustainable forest management in the 2024 J.D. Irving, Limited Forest Supply Chain Climate, Conservation and Community Impact Report: www.jdirvingsustainability.com.
