Brief presentation of ICAS Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding Activities Dr. GHEORGHE PARNUTA

In Romania, the tree breeding researches has started 50 years ago and the Forest Research and Management Institute (ICAS) has been achieving them. The Tree Breeding Programs have been elaborateted manly by dr. doc. VALERIU ENESCU and these has been focused on both scientific and applied aspects, according to the forest specific and national needs.

Main objectives: improving wood production expressed in both volume and dry mater per hectare; improving wood quality as an expression of straight bole shape, thin branches; breeding for resistance to biotic and abiotic stress factors; producing improved seeds/seedlings that can be used in a wide range of environmental conditions; development of biotechnological techniques for mass clonal propagation; studying species genetic diversity by isozymes and molecular markers.

Species involved in breeding programms: Picea abies, Abies alba, Larix deciduas, Pinus nigra, P. sylvestrys, P. cembra, Pseudotsuga menziesi, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Q. petraea, Q. cerris, Q. frainetto, Q. pubescens, Acer sp, Prunus avium sp., Tilia sp., Fraxinus sp.

Breeding activities Seeds stands selection. Total area of seed stands cover over 50000 ha, of which 44% belong to conifers and 56% belong to broadleaves. (National Register, ed. 2001) Plus –tree selection and seed orchards establishment. A number of 6 400 plus-trees were selected within natural, and in some cases artificial, populations. By their multiplication, a total of 696 ha of clonal, hybridization and seedling seed orchards (464 ha conifers and 236 ha broadleaves) were established. The researches for the seed orchard 2nd generation establishment have started in the last decade.

Research on within species variation through provenance, half-sib and full-sib families trials. 69 provenance trials were established for Picea abies (16), Abies alba (8), Larix decidua (7), Pseudotsuga menziesi (4), P. sylvestris (8), P. nigra (4), P. cembra (2), Quercus robur (8), Quercus petraea (3), Fraxinus excelsior (5), Fagus sylvatica (4). A total number of 490 provenances have been testing in these trials. It is very important that Picea abies, Abies alba, Larix deciduas, Pseudotsuga menziesi, P. sylvestris, P. nigra, Fraxinus excelsior and Fagus sylvatica provenances have been included in the Romanian –IUFRO co-operation programms.

Half-sib family trials were established: 14 for Picea abies, 1 for Quercus robur, 3 for Quercus petraea, 2 for Pinus cembra Full-sib family trials (with seeds obtained from complete diallel crossings) have started at the beginning of the last decade: 5 for Picea abies, 2 for Pinus cembra, 2 for Pinus mugo

Research on hybrid variation through full-sib families. In order to get growing and blister-rust (Cronartium ribicola) resistant F.1 hybrids, factorial crosses were made between Pinus strobus x P. peuce and P. strobus x P. wallichiana. Six trials were planted 30 years ago with these hybrids. A new series (1996) of hybrids between P.cembra x P.strobus, P.cembra x P. wallichiana were performed (by dr. I. Blada)

Selection of narrow-crowned spruce ideotyps (Picea abies f Selection of narrow-crowned spruce ideotyps (Picea abies f. pendula) and testing their half-sib and full-sib families in multi-site trials. There Were performed intra-specific hybrids between P. abies f. pendula x P. abies and reciprocal one (1992 year)

Molecular Genetics Using cpDNA markers, map of haplotype ditribution in Romanian Quercus species was constructed. Microsatellite studies in oak have lauched in a very good cooperation with French researchers from Bordeaux Lab. Studying genetic diversity of Picea abies, Abies alba, Pinus nigra, Larix decidua,Pinus cembra and Pseudotsuga menziesi based on isoensimatic and molecular markers have started.

Biotechnology Development of advanced techniques for the mass clonal propagation of Quercus robur, Fraxinus sp. and Sorbus sp.; selected trees. Somatic embryogenesis in Picea abies, Quercus robur. Micropropagation through organogenesis in many broadleaved species.

Other activities connected with the breeding programme Delineation of the new Regions of Provenance for all important species at country level (according EU-105/99 Directive and OECD Scheme). Conservation and Sustainable Management of Romanian FGR.

Human resources ICAS (headquarter and their territorial stations) have 26 permanent employers, 16 of them are researchers, of which 8 are PhD and 8 techniciens involved in genetic activities.

Infrastructure and equipment Equipment devoted to molecular genetics research, genetic markers in vitro cultures; Tree breeding equipment Equipment for seed testing and analysis (Seed testing lab. is ISTA acrediteted); ICAS ‘s Geomatic Lab have very good GIS mapping facilities. Hardware: PC network Windows XP, Cartografic scanner A0, Plotter A0 Software: Arc GIS (ArcInfo 9.2, ArcEditor 9.2, ArcWiew 3.2, 8.3, 9.2), ArcIMS (Internet Map Server), Erdas Imagine 8.6, Erdas PHOTOGRAMMETRY, Ecognition 3.0, GPS Pathfinder Office, ArcPad 5, FieldMap 5 (integrated field computer, GPS, electronic compass, laser rangefinder and inclinometrer)

Relevant projects Ash for future: defining European ash populations for conservation and regeneration (FRAXIGEN) – EU-FP5-Projcet Romanian Forest Genetic Resources Conservation and Sustainable Management (COREGE-FOREST – National project); Study of genetic variability of the main forest tree species in order to establish the tested seeds sources according to EU regulations (TREE-VARGEN- National Project); Assessment and mapping of the genetic diversity for Romanian oak species for sustainable management of the forest ecosystems and dynamic conservation of genetic resources (OAKGIS National Project); Advances biotechnologies for micro multiplication, conservation and soma clone selection of ornamental trees and scrubs, for landscape rehabilitation (ARBOOR).

Underway projects A working model of tree improvement for competitive, multifunctional and sustainable European forestry (TREEBREEDEX); Study of the genetic diversity for Romania seed orchards and forest genetic resources using molecular markers (National project); Updating and revising of the National Register of Basic Materials (National Project); Assessment genetic diversity using molecular markers of valuable oaks provenances and forest genetic resources from Southern Romania and Bulgaria (Romanian- Bulgarian cooperation project).