Speed breeding technologies for UK broadleaved trees
Project leads Prof Richard Buggs | Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Dr Andrew Plackett; Dr Graeme Kettles | University of Birmingham – School of Biosciences; Abi Johnson | Niab East Malling
Lead organisation Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Project status Active
Project funding 25-26 £133,523.17
Research outcomes Adaptation | Recovery
Context
Due to new pests, pathogens, and climate change, we need to breed stronger broadleaved trees more quickly. New DNA sequencing technologies have enabled a better understanding of tree genetics, making it possible to speed up breeding using genetic markers.
However, trees can take many years to flower for the first time (their ‘juvenile’ stage), meaning that breeding is still a slow process. One way to get around this is to make trees flower earlier, using a technique called ‘speed breeding’ which has already been successful in annual crops such as cereals, and does not change the trees genetically.
Scientists at Niab have been able to make apple trees flower years earlier by growing them under conditions with longer daylight hours, high carbon dioxide, and short artificial winters. This project will now test whether the same method can work for silver birch (Betula pendula), oak (Quercus Robur), and ash (Fraxinus excelsior), with a focus on the latter due to the threats faced both from ash dieback (Hymenoscyphus fraxineus) and emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis).
Research aims and objectives
Aim:
Trigger early flowering in ash via environmental manipulation: using long day lengths, high carbon dioxide, and artificially short winters.
Objectives:
- Experiment on ash saplings, a proportion of which will be descended from parents resistant to ash dieback, which may be a resource for future breeding programmes.
- Test silver birch under the same conditions – silver birch has previously been shown to flower early under speed breeding treatments, so will be the control in the experiment.
- Test a small number of oak saplings under the same conditions – oak usually takes much longer to start flowering (25-40 years), and so speed breeding treatments may not be successful.
- Compare how genes behave differently in trees grown with speed breeding methods compared to control conditions in all three species. By doing this over time, a better understanding of the genetic changes that help trees to flower faster will be gained.
- Test a diverse population of ash trees from across the country will be collected to see if there are genetic differences that make ash more or less responsive to speed breeding.
Expected outcomes
- Establish that speed breeding can be achieved in ash and oak trees.
- Create a reliable method to make UK broadleaved tree species flower earlier.
- Map the genetic changes that happen in birch, ash, and oak under speed breeding conditions, to see if they share the same response. This will help to enable future prediction of whether speed breeding will work in other tree species and improve the method in future.
- Identify whether certain ash trees are more responsive to speed breeding conditions than others and identify which genes may be responsible.
Some of our other CFP projects are also looking at the impact of ash dieback and how we can build resilience. Check them out here:
Title image: Abi Johnson, Niab East Malling
Body image: Abi Johnson, Niab East Malling
Glossary & Key Terms
Ash (Fraxinus excelsior)
A native broadleaved tree with excellent timber properties that is an important host for many species of flora and fauna and consequently of high ecological value. There are currently approximately 151,000 ha of ash in Britain accounting for 11% of all broadleaved woodland (IFOS). Ash is under severe threat from the disease Chalara ash dieback (Hymenoscyphus fraxineus), and its abundance in the British landscape is likely to decrease. The ability to plant ash is now severely restricted due to concerns over tree health. Ash is a native tree and categorised as a principal tree species. For more information, see Ash (AH) – Forest Research.
Ash dieback (Hymenoscyphus fraxineus)
Ash dieback is a highly destructive disease of ash trees (Fraxinus species), especially the United Kingdom’s native ash species, common ash (Fraxinus excelsior). It is caused by a fungus named Hymenoscyphus fraxineus (H. fraxineus), which is of eastern Asian origin. For more information, see Ash dieback (Hymenoscyphus fraxineus) – Forest Research.
Broadleaved
A category of trees that have wide, flat leaves rather than needle-like leaves. A category of trees that have wide, flat leaves rather than needle-like leaves. These trees are usually deciduous and lose their leaves in winter.
Emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis)
Emerald ash borer (EAB) is an exotic beetle pest of ash trees (Fraxinus species). It is a member of the beetle family Buprestidae, and causes significant damage to the trees, including dieback and death. There have been no reported discoveries of the pest in the United Kingdom (UK), but agencies remain vigilant for an accidental introduction. For more information, see Emerald ash borer beetle (Agrilus planipennis) – Forest Research.
Genetic markers
Oak (Quercus)
Oak trees are a group of trees and shrubs belonging to the genus Quercus within the beech family. They are known for their distinctive lobed leaves, hard wood, and characteristic acorns. There are around 500 different species of oak, found in the Northern Hemisphere, and they can be either deciduous or evergreen.
There are two native oak species in the UK: pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) and sessile oak (Quercus petraea), and three non-native species: turkey oak (Quercus cerris), holm oak (Quercus ilex), cork oak (Quercus suber). For more information, see Oak Trees – Forest Research.
Pathogen
An organism or agent that can cause disease. Pathogens include viruses, bacteria, fungi, and protists. They can infect a wide range of hosts, including plants and animals.
Silver birch (Betula pendula)
Silver birch is one of two native birches in Britain and was historically an important source of wood for fuel, charcoal and small wood products, particularly wooden bobbins. It was not recognised as a timber tree and the increased use of plastics saw it fall out of general use. There is increasing interest in the potential for birch as a productive forest species. Silver birch is a native species and is categorised as a principal tree species. For more information, see Silver birch (SBI) – Forest Research.
Speed breeding
A technique used to make trees flower earlier by manipulating environmental conditions specifically, by providing longer daylight hours, elevated carbon dioxide levels, and short artificial winters. This method does not involve genetic modification.
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