Project Leaders:   
Joerg Bohlmann, Kermit Ritland

Lead Institution:   
University of British Columbia

Research Funding Program:   
Competition III

GE³LS Activity:
Conserving Our Forests: A Citizens’ Debate

Spruce is the dominant conifer species in Canada and is the most important tree of the Canadian forest industry. This project will identify the genetic traits of spruce trees that may improve their resistance to pests like the spruce weevil as well as increase their ability to adapt to changing conditions. Collaborations will allow the research team to compare the spruce genome with the genome of the loblolly pine, the most important conifer in the USA to gain information about both species. The genomic knowledge gained with this project can also add a new dimension to breeding programs, identifying new traits of interest and accelerating breeding schedules. Furthermore, genomics can help monitor the health of current forests and predict their long-term sustainability. The project will also explore the economic impacts of genomics in forestry as well as the public perception of these activities.

The longer term goal of this project is to identify and utilize natural genetic variation of trees to improve forest health but more immediately, the researchers will focus on identifying the underlying genetic mechanisms of resistance to biotic disturbance and adaptation to abiotic stress. This project builds on the successful large-scale Canadian forestry genomics program, Treenomix.

The project will develop several genomic resources for spruce geneticists, including a BAC library, proteomic methods, and metabolomic technologies. Additional ESTs and cDNAs will be processed to represent the majority of the expressed conifer genome. A moderate density map with COS markers will be used to establish map synteny with loblolly pine and a finer map with SNPs will be developed for mapping and association studies.

The project will examine the functional genomics of weevil-resistant and weevil-susceptible Sitka spruce and interior spruce. The constitutive and insect-induced defence mechanisms will be elucidated by profiling expression patterns, proteomes and metabolites. Comparing spruce and pine will further advance knowledge about defence mechanisms. To analyze the genomics of adaptation to climate, candidate genes for shoot phenology and cold adaptation will be done with the SNP map and association studies performed to confirm adaptive variation.

The above research will be integrated with other forestry genome projects in Canada and internationally and is in strategic partnership with tree breeding programs in the BC Ministry of Forests. This project will also seek public input on the acceptability of tree breeding and/or using spruce trees selected by genomic technologies.