National Seed Laboratory

1. National Seed Laboratory • USDA Forest Service • National Center for Seed Technology • National Mission • All native plants • Protocol development: germ, clean, store seeds • Tech transfer: training, handbooks, individual • Seed testing on a fee-for-service basis • Germplasm conservation and research seed distribution

2. NSL Germplasm Conservation • For FS and FS cooperators • Cooperating w/ ARS • Fort Collins NCGRP security backup • Capacity to enter accessions into GRIN (FSNS numbers are Forest Service) • Wrote FS ash collection plan cooperatively with the Ames PI station • Sharing ash seed and resources

3. NSL Facts • Two operational locations • Dry Branch GA • Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center at Purdue W. Lafayette, IN is an additional location • Second base of operations for midwest • Gives NSL better cooperation with FS and university genetics • As a coop service oriented facility, NSL has many contacts in forestry and conservation agencies and organizations.

4. Ash Germplasm Collections • 2006 • start, learned how to do it • fair to poor seed year: 20 lots collected • Began x-raying seed for Rose Lake PMC • Drafted seed collection plan • 2007 • almost no seed produced • Some areas had seed: 60 lots collected • 2008 • phenomenal seed year: 420+ seed lots • Techniques are pretty refined now • Cooperative efforts gain traction

5. FS Fraxinus Collection Plan • Focused: EAB infestations (EAB viewer) • Defined seed collection areas (2 to several counties) • Derived from EAB viewer, Omernik III regions, species range maps • Mostly a way to assign and track collections • Collections were to more or less be spread across collection area • Worked with Ames PI station to write

6. FS Fraxinus Collection Plan • Wild trees, some provision for urban collections • No selection for phenotype • Healthy tree but could be EAB attacked • Quantity to collect • Min: about 1 quart of seed (1 to 2 inches of seed on bottom of grocery sack) • Max: Full grocery sack

7. FS Fraxinus Collection Plan • Evaluate seed for weevils – at least 50% good • Voucher specimens • Leaf if available (put in data sheet/envelope) • Twig sample (placed in the bag w/ the seeds) • Seeds cluster if possible (put in bag) • Photos • Close up of bark • Whole tree

8. Slide the leaf into the envelope diagonally making sure that all the leaflets are flat and not folded over on themselves. This will allow the leaf to dry flat and to be more easily identifiable.

9. Seed lot number Two photos are taken of each tree. One is of the trunk and one is of the full tree. Take the photo of the trunk first. Before photographing the trunk, pin the data sheet to the tree so that the lot number is clearly visible, but off to the bottom in order to show as much of the trunk as possible. Frame both photos vertically as shown here. Taking the photos in this order will ensure the photos can be matched to the correct seed lots.

10. FS Fraxinus Collection Plan • Make seeds available for research and restoration • Seek out researchers to collaborate with • NSL will distribute • Collecting enough seed to make sure supplies will be sufficient (quart, full bags) • Seed increase possible, but a long term project • Objective is the restoration of ash to landscape

11. 2006 Cooperative Efforts • Attempted to recruit seed collectors from the general public • Put together kits with all needed supplies and made up a training pp • Did outreach through extension service at Purdue – master gardeners • Distributed about 12 kits but received no seeds --- needed a more direct approach

12. 2008 Cooperative Collections • Focused on special groups to collect seeds • Received $37M from Forest Health Director • Ash identified as one of 4 top priority species/species groups to be targeted for conservation because of invasive pathogen or pest • Allowed us to buy supplies for our collectors • Most $$ taken to fight wild fires before we could get it granted to cooperators for travel • Money was restored so we may grant it this year but money is also needed to clean the 2008 seeds.

13. 2008 Cooperative Collections • 20 cooperating entities • 2 Arboreta: Holden, Stranahan • 3 Metro parks in Dayton & Cleveland OH • 4 Universities: Kent State, Ohio State, Purdue, U MN, • 3 DNR: PA, IN, OH (urban programs) • 1 TNC: Blue River Project, IN • 2 Hoosier and Chippewa National Forest • 1 Bloomington IN Parks and Recreation • 2 Timber companies, 1 private consultants • 2 FS Northern Research Station (HTIRC at Purdue, Delaware OH)

14. 2008 Cooperative Collections • Conducted 6 workshops (4 in OH, 1 IN, 1 MN) with the cooperators • This focused effort gave a much better result than trying to collect from the general public. • Demonstrated that there are well qualified willing cooperators who with a little more financial support could do much more.

15. Other FS Ash Conservation Efforts • National Forest System has its own plan to preserve germplasm from NF in the North. • 100 trees per forest per species • Submit to the NPGS through the NSL plan • Kim Steiner at Penn State has been given a grant to assess the condition and meaure the 30 year old white and green ash provenance tests. • March 2010 HTIRC at Purdue will host a conference on the ash resource • Document and highlight the importance of the ash resource • Hopefully develop support for breeding and restoration work • The last two items above are funded by grants from FH

16. Needs - technical • Assess genetic variation to guide future collections - when do we have enough sources collected? • Provenance work (funded) • Molecular work to describe gene flow, outcrossing patterns, level of variability at the gene level (needs more funding) • Nursery, breeding, transgenic, and seed orchard research (needed for restoration work) • ID sources of EAB resistance

17. Needs – Policy/Financial/Adminstrative • Need agency leadership support to go beyond the grass roots efforts • Need to match up agency resources • NSL contributes • Seed testing facilities, expertise • Conducting workshops • Development of techniques • Network of cooperators • Seed storage and distribution facilities • How do the various plans fit together? • How do we as a group engage cooperators? • What specific objectives does each agency have? • Can we form a unified budget for this project?