THE STATUS AND POTENTIAL OF USING CONTROLLED PARENTAGE IN OPERATIONALREFORESTATION IN NEW-BRUNSWICK

Tree improvement programs began in New Brunswick in the 1970s, and, by the early 1990s, most of the seed used in reforestation was from seed orchards. Initial research such as fertilizer trials and other flower induction methods focussed on increasing seed orchard yields. Trials have also been established to investigate parental contribution to see d orchard production. Pls the New Brunswick Tree Improvement Council b reeding programs advance into the second generation, two new approache s have been developed to capture genetic gain more efficiently. The us e of controlled breeding followed by vegetative multiplication of blac k spruce has been adopted operationally by J.D. Trying, Limited, and a jack pine meadow orchard has been established by the New Brunswick De partment of Natural Resources and Energy. This paper presents an overv iew of these programs and the future challenges of using controlled pa rentage in operational reforestation stock production.