Overview of Tree Improvement and Seed Orchard Pest Management in British Columbia

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Overview of Tree Improvement and Seed Orchard
Pest Management in British Columbia
Ward B. Strong, Ph.D. BC Ministry of Forests
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Government of BC

• Research Branch
• Tree breeding
• Gene conservation
• Tree Improvement Branch
• Seed production (cost recovery)
• Tree Seed Center
• Seed planning and information
• Seed orchard pest management
• Forest Investment Account- TIP
• Funds programs over and above base government
  funding
• 4.95 million in 2003 provided to FGC

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Forest Genetics Council

• Directs tree improvement in BC
• Composed of Industry and Government members
• Sets strategic goals
• 75 select seed use by 2013
• 20 volume gain by 2020
• Support gene conservation research
• Coordinate stakeholder activities
• Monitor gene resource management

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Technical Advisory Committees

• Subcommittees of the FGC
• Provide direction and information to FGC.
• Coastal
• Interior
• Extension
• Gene Conservation
• Pest Management
• Gene Resource Management steering committee

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Subprograms

• Organizational units of the FGC
• Budget allocated among the subprograms

• Gene Conservation
• Tree Breeding-- 2.3 M
• Seed Orchard Expansion
• Extension
• Gene Resource Information
• Operational Tree Improvement Program
• Pest Management-- 75,000

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Seed Production 2003
Species

Seed produced

Seedling
(kg)

equivalents
(million)

Interior spruce

374.5

55.0

Lodgepole pine

110.0

12.8

Western larch

108

9.2

Interior Douglas-fir

6.2

0.2

White pine

79.5

1.2

Western r
edcedar

6.7

1.3

Coastal Douglas-fir

367

15
.
0

Western hemlock

18.3

3.6

Pacific silver fir

42.5

0
.2


1093.7

98.0


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Seed Pest Management in BC

• Mandates
• Monitor orchards to determine presence and
  densities of insect, disease, and weed pests
• Make pest management recommendations to seed
  orchard managers, using the principles of IPM
• Conduct research to develop pest management
  protocols
• Extension of pest identification, monitoring and
  control techniques to seed orchardists

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Seed Pest Management Workforce

• Current Force
• One person on coast (Robb Bennett)
• One person in interior (myself) co-op student

• Future
• Rapidly expanding orchard program means
  increased monitoring and recommendation
  requirements
• Increasing pest losses require more research
• Divide research and field services
• Delivery of field services
• In-house
• Train orchardists
• Contract out

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Integrated Pest Management
Integrated Pest Management IPM integrates crop
monitoring, decision-making procedures, and all
available control tactics to maintain pests
below acceptable densities with minimal ecosystem
disruption.
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IPM Concepts

• Control Tactics
• Physical Removal of pests or infested plant
  parts
• Cultural Change culture to discourage pests
• Biological Use of predators and parasites
• Behavioural Pheromones, kairomones
• Chemical Use pesticides as a last resort

Action
Monitoring
Decision- making