Koochiching County was recently recognized for its 25 years of participation in the Minnesota Tree Improvement Cooperative.
County Land Commissioner Dennis Hummitzsch told the county board this week that participation in the cooperative will yield results in better quality and higher value black spruce in years to come.
The cooperative, a part of the University of Minnesota, supports research and development of tree improvement projects, involving primarily conifers.
Koochiching has established two back spruce seed orchards and a seedling growth trial with the help of the cooperative’s geneticist, Hummitzsch said.
Black spruce is one of the major species Koochiching County sells and is used in the paper-making process at various mills across the state, said Hummitzsch.
County foresters have each year collected cones for seed extraction in an effort to improve the quality of black spruce.
“Improved growth means improved value,” he said. He credited MTIC and it’s university geneticist with the improved value of the trees.
Once a planting is established, it is tracked by the parent trees, Hummitzsch told The Journal.
The seedlings representing the same parent trees are monitored and measured, with the poor growing families removed to make way for the better growing trees. The trees are monitored for genotype, the genetic growth potential of a tree, and phenotype, the growth form or height and branches, of a tree. Trees with poor genotype and phenotype are removed, improving quality and growth potential of the remaining trees.
The planting areas, he said, must be located away from other black spruce stands to avoid pollination from other sources of black spruce.
The stored seed collected by county staff for the past several years will soon be planted by aerial seeding to maximize the potential, said Hummitzsch.
Hummitzsch said MTIC membership has benefited the county.
“Membership of MTIC supports in a cooperative basis tree improvement and growth throughout the state, with numerous counties, industry and state and federal agencies involved,” he said.
Hummitzsch told the board this week that the improved black spruce growth is an example of how the county’s investment in MTIC membership has paid off.
“We have a lot of seed banked, and stored long term and we’ll see it pay off in 70-80 years. The investment in the department will go a long ways — 100 years out,” he said.
