Approaches in Great Britain and Ireland to the genetic improvement of broadleaved trees

Abstract

The history of broadleaved tree improvement since 1945 in Great Britain and Ireland is outlined in this paper, covering provenance trials, seed stands, phenotypic selection, progeny trials, seed orchards and vegetative propagation. The long-term nature of any broadleaved programme has led to reluctance to start projects, and much of what was funded in the mid-1900s has since been lost through spending cuts and 'rationalizations'. Most resources were, and still are, devoted to conifers, particularly Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr.). Since the 1980s, broadleaved planting has increased enormously, currently amounting to two-thirds of all new planting in Britain, yet attitudes towards growing high-quality broadleaved trees for timber have hardly changed. Conservation, landscape and amenity values are placed far higher than quality. Nevertheless some progress with genetic improvement has been made from the 1990s with seven species through the British and Irish Hardwoods Improvement Programme - an informal, but apparently effective, voluntary association of landowners, nursery managers, research institutions, universities and professional foresters. It is concluded that inadequate investment in genetic research and weak management of projects potentially undermines all aspects of sustainable forestry and hampers the delivery of forestry policies; most notably, it limits the potential for the production of high-quality hardwood timber. © Crown copyright 2005. Published by Oxford University Press.