During this first year the project has achieved the following advances and milestones:

 Provenance Definition

The provenance is the main source of variation within species.  This kind of variation it happens to be considerable in species with a broad distribution range as is the case with the genus Nothofagus, and specially with the feature associate with adaptability.

The genetic improvement is capable of producing -in a relative fast way- the changes that the geneticists want to achieved if he or she can identified the sources of variation.

During this first year we elaborate a preliminary provenances map of roble and rauli, which was submitted to revision to the experts in this field with the application of the Delphi Method.

Due to practical considerations and the variation nature between the populations, we arrived to an order of the provenance system for rauli and roble that was defined in three levels:  Macroclimate, Provenances Zones and Provenances.  This system permitted the definition of a map of Provenances Zones, which determined 14 provenances for roble and 7 for rauli.  This map will be the base to organize a sampling oriented to isoenzymatic identification of each provenance.

 Seed Producer Areas (SPA)

This seed production structures are the first effort of a genetic improvement program to give to the users seeds with some level of improvement, while we wait for the production of other sources as the seed orchards that will generate seed with grater levels of genetic gain.

During the first year, the project has identified stands to be transformed in SPAs.  They have been evaluated, it has been planned its transformation and thin marked to transform the stand into an SPA.

Of the identified stands, three of them will be transformed in Seed Production Areas due to the shown interest of the companies Forestal Neltume Carranco and Cabildo S.A.

 Selection of Plus Trees and Clonal Seed Orchards

During the first year’s summer of the project we selected 43 candidate plus trees for each one of the considered species (roble and rauli), it demanded the complete systematic scanning of 2,130 hectares of following companies patrimony:

 MAGASA S.A
 Forestal Mininco S.A.
 Forestal Voipir Ltda.
 Bosques Arauco S.A.
 Forestal Neltume Carranco S.A.
 Forestal Cholguan S.A.
 COMACO S.A.
 Forestal y Agrícola Monteaguila S.A.

Later, close to the end of winter we began the grafting activities, as a mean to obtain an
vegetative copies from the selected trees thus therefore to include them in the first generation clonal seed orchard.

By this means, we grafted 33 rauli trees, which represents an proper number of clones to establish the first clonal seed orchard.  In addition, we grafted 7 roble seedlings, as a first approach to the orchard that will be establish with grafting material during 1998.

We produced a total of 2,936 grafts, 90% of them correspond to rauli.

 Progeny Tests and Seed Harvesting

The Progeny Tests are a fundamental tool to determinate the genetic value of the trees to be incorporated in the improvement program.  They will generated a valuable information to make decisions about the orchards management, and for the improvement strategy formulation.

Counting this elements the project plan to establish these tests.  To achieve this, at the end of 1997’s summer we planned a seed harvesting from selected trees that were rauli plus candidates.  Later, early in September, the seed began to be nursered in greenhouse condition to obtain the plants that will conform the progeny tests.

In this tests we will evaluate 28 plus candidate trees, through the behavior of their progeny.  The remnant trees will be included in other tests, which will have connectors or common progenies, by this means we can study the information of all the progenies together.
 

 Milestones

Between the relevant events during the development of the project we can mention:

 Provenance Definition Map

It corresponds to the preliminary and intermediate maps of provenance definition of roble and rauli.  The first one, after being studied for professional it originated the second one, which will be used as a base for sampling and isoenzymatic analysis, that will permit the elaboration of the definitive maps.

 SPA Definition

We identified the superior stands to be transformed to SPA, three of them actually are being transformed in accord to what was agreed with the companies Cabildo S.A. and Forestal Neltume Carranco S.A.

 Plus Trees Selection

We identified 86 individual plus candidates, which were qualified to obtain 10 roble and 20 rauli plus trees.  The remnant trees now belong to the trees bank of very interesting commercial characteristics.  All this individuals represent a great contribution because they constitute the base and backup for a genetic improvement program in these species.

 Seed Harvest

From 45 of 86 selected superior trees we obtained the seed that will originate the important genetic trails to evaluate the behavior of the selected individuals’progenies.  A total of 4 kg of seed was collected, concentrate in 15 roble and 30 rauli trees.

 Grafting

We carry out close to 3,000 grafts with qualified plus trees material.  They will develop in an important number of genetically identical copies of the original trees, and they will be located in clonal seed orchards to produce seed with a high improvement level.

 Diffusion Papers

During the first year, the project consolidate its participation in the Genetic Section of the Chile Forestal magazine, which has contributed to be a very effective mean to show technical aspects of the project.  By the end of November 1997, we published 5 articles in subjects related with genetic improvement, seed producer areas, genetic base an plus trees selection.

 First Nothofagus Improvement Workshop

This workshop was organized by the project and corresponds to an initiative to divulge the results and advances of the research, plus it helps to have some experience feedback with the participants.  This workshop was carry out on July in the Valdivia’s INFOR offices and it had the participation of renown professionals of this field.

 Agreement with CONAF

The project established and important set of documents with agreements with the maximum authorities of the National Forest Service (CONAF).  With this agreement CONAF puts to the disposition of the project all its roble and rauli patrimony represented in the SNASPE to carry out plus trees selections and establish seed producer areas.  Some other important elements of this agreement, consider the incorporation of the rauli clonal seed orchard "Huillilemu" from San Jose de la Mariquina district to the project administration.

 International Contacts

We held a visit to the electrophoresis isoenzyme laboratory located in the Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria (INTA) in Bariloche, Argentina.  The goal of this visit was to get introduced in the electrophoresis technique developed in the argentine institute, especially with rauli, specie that they have been studying for several years.

The project also has contact the Spanish INIA, which had manifested its interest in participate with the project activities related with the provenances genetic characterization.  This proposal it happens to be of a great value because the experience of the Spanish team in conservation issues and forestry genetic resources characterization is considerable.

The project director visited Scotland and Wales to meet the Nothofagus advances in Great Britain, and to get introduced in details of their improvement programs.  The relevant aspects about this tour will be put in a report that opportunely will be delivered.

 The next step

The activities to undertake in what is left of the project can be announce following in short form:

To finish the definition process of provenances with an study of isoenzymatic characterization.

To incorporate new plus trees and seed producer areas to the improvement program, this activities will the planned in function to the prior signed agreements in the SNASPE patrimony.

To incorporate the new selected trees in progeny trails and clonal seed orchards.

To initiate the studies respect to the definition of the improvement seed commercialization strategy.

To initiate the elaboration of the roble and rauli improvement strategy.

To continue divulging the advances and result of the project through courses, workshops, publications, Web pages, and other available mechanisms.

 
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