Raising the Productivity, Resistance and Adaptability in Poplar - Gene Markers for Aspen in Russia

This proposal focuses on the improvement of poplar in western and especially eastern Europe (Germany respectively Russia), where the poplar species known as aspen (Populus tremula) is indigenous and has wide distribution. In economically active target regions of St. Petersburg and Moscow the wood is intensively used and the productivity of wood production needs to raised. Large areas of abandoned land can be put into use by producing wood, a renewable resource forecast to be required more intensely in future.
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Background and Objective

Core of the research project is the development of genetic markers for marker-assisted selections. Such markers would represent major advances in forest tree breeding. Focus is on the end product of the breeding activity, the wood produced and its quality, which are to be investigated. In the included with this project target regions around St. Petersburg and Moscow is used intensively wood and timber production should be intensified.

Approach

Among research institutions reproductive materials are to be exchanged and cross pollinations according to a jointly developed factorial crossing scheme executed in parallel simultaneously. The produced progenies (seed) will be shared among the partners for further testing in the lab and in field trials. Segregating populations will be used for development of DNA markers to be used for marker assisted selections (MAS). Phenotyping for productivity and resistance characters, e. g. heart rot and drought are to be carried out. Additionally wood characters of representative stands and breeding products are to be analysed and possible uses for the aspen wood explored.

Thünen-Contact

• Fladung, Matthias Institute of Forest Genetics

Involved Thünen-Partners

• Fladung, Matthias Institute of Forest Genetics
• Liesebach, Mirko Institute of Forest Genetics
• Will, Manuela Institute of Forest Genetics

Involved external Thünen-Partners

• Petrozavodsk State University
  (Petrozavodsk, Russische Föderation)
• St. Petersburg Forest Technical University
  (St. Petersburg, Russische Föderation)
• St Petersburg Forestry Research Institute
  (St. Petersburg, Russische Föderation)
• Moscow State Forest University
  (Moskau, Russische Föderation)

Funding Body

• Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE)
  (national, öffentlich)

Duration

7.2015 - 8.2019

More Information

Projekt type:
Project funding number: 28100401
Funding program: Innovationsförderung
Project status: finished

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