The Future Of Hardwood Trees

Scientists are hoping that classical breeding and biotechnology will soon lead to a superior hardwood tree for use by the flooring and furniture industry.

The goal of researchers at Indiana's Purdue University is to breed superior black walnut, black cherry and northern red oak trees that are faster growing, richer-grained and more disease resistant than their unmodified peers.

"If we can domesticate hardwood trees, that means you can eventually leave the wild ones where they are because you've made something that is better," said molecular biologist Keith Woeste.

Using grafted limbs from 400 different trees, researchers are now crossbreeding the most desirable black walnut trees at Purdue's experimental tree farm. They also are genetically modifying select trees by inserting genes into embryonic trees with desirable qualities like insect resistance. Another hope is to develop a tree that is resistant to the herbicides foresters spread over tree farms to kill competing plant and tree vegetation.

The ultimate goal of the program is to increase the yield of hardwood timber in the U.S. It is estimated that there is an annual shortfall of 55 million hardwood seedlings a year. About 90Vo of the U.S.'s hardwood production comes from private forests that are less than 100 acres in size.

In these forests, the biggest and healthiest trees are harvested first, leaving behind a stock of smaller, sicker trees.

"The overall picture has been that the trees that are being harvested now are smaller that they were 50 years ago," said National Hardwood Lumber Association's Paul Houghland Jr. "And smaller trees mean you need more of them to set the same amount of lumber."

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Lookinq to meet WestErn lumber

The bases will be loaded this March at 'Westem \Uood Products Association's Annual Meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona. Our lineup includes golf, construction site tour, meetings, speakers, receptions and plenty of time to meet with the top lumber producers in the West. Plus, join us for a Cactus League spring training baseball game on March 4!