Known also as British Columbia’s provincial tree, the western redcedar (WRC) has a long breeding program history. There are close to 100 long-term genetic field trials, many of which are now decades old. These trials have provided 100`s of thousands of detailed phenotypic records, allowing us to understand causative phenotypes affecting economic and adaptive traits.
This project is focusing on improving growth and adaptability, enhancing wood durability, and minimizing damage from foliar pathogens and wildlife browsing. All of these attributes are important as we move from old growth to second growth amidst a changing climate. We will be measuring a suite of traits in the training population that will help us to understand the above challenges including foliage and wood extractives, foliage toughness, fibre, ligin and cellulose and cold-hardiness to name a few.
PHENOTYPING
GENOTYPING