Poplar Breeding Projects

Poplar Breeding Projects
In the Pacific Northwest, two poplar species, Populus trichocarpa and Populus deltoides, were crossed to produce a hybrid that exhibits increased vigor and yield. The leaves of the hybrid are about four times as large as the leaves of either parent at a similar age. These hybrids are now being grown commercially by forest products companies in the region. Similar breeding efforts are underway in the north-central and southeastern U.S. All three breeding efforts rely upon information provided by physiologists, pathologists, and entomologists to aid in the selection of useful, reliable clones. As an example of one of the supportive research projects, a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with Boise Cascade is under way to evaluate biochemical indicators for drought tolerance in the hybrids. This study uses the hybrids in an operational field irrigation experiment to characterize biochemical changes in large commercially grown trees. In all regions, continued progress towards fast-growing adapted poplar clones requires a team effort.
Poplar breeding efforts significantly increase biomass yield. The large leaf on the right is from a hybrid cross of two parent poplar species represented by the two smaller leaves to the left and center.
In the Pacific Northwest this teamwork is represented by two industrial/university-based cooperatives; one at Oregon State University and the other at University of Washington. The program's newest poplar breeding project, in the Southeast, includes seven industrial and three university participants interacting to accomplish initial selections of poplar parents and broad field testing of the selected plant materials. This effort is being coordinated by Mississippi State University. Breeding of poplar in the north- central region is a multi-state effort that includes the USDA-Forest Service and four universities, with the USDA-Forest Service coordinating this research effort. Based on the ongoing, long- term breeding of poplars, the commercially available clones of today in the Pacific Northwest, north-central and southeastern regions will be rapidly replaced by new materials in the near future.
For additional information, contact Gerald Tuskan Oak Ridge National Laboratory MS-6422 Oak Ridge, TN 3783-6422 (865)576-8141(voice); (865)-576-8143(fax)