Genomics-based tools for new forest tree improvement strategies

Response to a growing demand for large quantities of high quality timber

The timber industry needs to respond to sharp growth in demand in a changing world context: diversification of the use of forestry products linked to the rarefaction of fossil resources, expectations from society concerning the sustainable management of forests, and climate change.

More efficient genetic improvement strategies are necessary to produce enough ligneous biomass, of sufficient quality, to meet these challenges. Plant breeding today must take account of the need for high added-value forestry products, while ensuring that trees can adapt to the new constraints imposed by climate change: disease, pests and drought.

In this context, NovelTree will contribute to a clearer understanding of the genes implicated in these major adaptive functions in the Norway pine, maritime pine, spruce and poplar, and will focus on their variations within natural populations.

Based on genomic data already acquired, NovelTree will develop high-throughput genotyping tools to enable optimisation of the choice of individuals, combining plasticity, adaptation to changing environments and the production of high-quality ligneous resources. Using modelling tools, the researchers will identify breeding strategies that, over several generations, will be able to reconcile genetic advances and the rational management of genetic diversity in forest species. By integrating all the data acquired during the project, NovelTree will focus on developing new aids to decision-making so that improved material can be deployed in the different countries, through a combination of the sustainable development of forest ecosystems and the economic exploitation of their products.

Finally, the scientists will disseminate these new tools to breeders, plantation owners, scientists and consumers, by means of symposia, publications in scientific journals and technical articles in specialised journals.
Fourteen research agencies will be taking part in this project which is funded to a level of €6.3 million, €4.1 million of which have been provided by the European Union in the context of FP7.

The NovelTree project was launched on June 25, 2008 in the presence of Bernard Commère, representing the Ministry for Higher Education and Research, Patricia Bossard from the Ministry for Agriculture and Fisheries, Yves Lesgourgues, Director of the Aquitaine Regional Centre for Forestry, and Pierre Stengel, Scientific Director for the Environment, Cultivated and Natural Ecosystems at INRA.