Seed Sourcing Grant: successful projects round 1
Published 13 November 2024
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2024
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/seed-sourcing-grant-successful-projects/seed-sourcing-grant-successful-projects-round-1
Future Trees Trust
Create a source-identified seed stand for blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) using seed from the Millennium Seed Bank. Carry out a grafting pilot on beech (Fagus sylvatica), hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) and field maple (Acer campestre) to address lack of grafting knowledge for these species. Identify beech and hornbeam plus trees across southern Britain (regions of provenance 30 and 40). Beech plus trees will be grafted for a qualified clonal seed orchard to be planted after the funded project ends.
Trees Please Ltd
Establish a qualified silver birch (Betula pendula) seed orchard, using breeding populations from the north of England and south of Scotland. This will be converted into a tested seed orchard in the future following progeny trials by the Future Trees Trust. Create a tested Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) seed orchard using grafts of scions from Forest Research. Deer and rabbit fencing will be installed to prevent damage to the orchards.
Clive Ellis
Register compartments of an ancient semi-natural woodland as a small-leaved lime (Tilia cordata) seed stand on the Register of UK Basic Materials. Increase the quantity and quality of viable seed available for collection in the stand through thinning.
John Innes Centre
Plan a genetically diverse qualified wych elm (Ulmus glabra) seed orchard by locating wych elm trees throughout England that appear to have resistance to Dutch elm disease (DED) and producing saplings from cuttings and seeds. Methods will be developed to test the saplings for tolerance to DED. After the period of the grant, these materials will be planted in what will become a qualified seed orchard, which will be registered on the Register of UK Basic Materials.
The Woodland Trust
Identify, ground truth, and register new seed stands across the Woodland Trust England estate. Focus on desk and field studies to identify stands of:
- guelder rose (Viburnum opulus)
- hazel (Corylus avellana) (specifically non-405)
- holly (Ilex aquifolium)
- hornbeam (Carpinus betulus)
- small leaved lime (Tilia cordata)
- whitebeam (Sorbus aria)
- service tree (Sorbus torminalis)
- yew (Taxus baccata)
Aveland Trees Ltd
Expand, manage, and register an autochthonous source-identified UK 402 hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) seed stand. Pruning and aftercare will ensure successful establishment of trees and enable efficient mechanical harvesting of berries from mature bushes. Collect hazel (Corylus avellana) nuts from ancient semi-natural woodlands to establish a source-identified UK 402 hazel seed stand.
The National Trust
Use desk and field studies to identify and register seed stands on the 33,200ha of woodland owned by the National Trust. The project will focus on:
- aspen (Populus tremula)
- blackthorn (Prunus spinosa)
- elder (Sambucus nigra)
- guelder rose (Viburnum opulus), holly (Ilex aquifolium)
- hornbeam (Carpinus betulus)
- juniper (Juniperus communis)
- spindle (Euonymus europaeus)
- whitebeam (Sorbus aria)
- wild apple (Malus sylvestris)
- wild privet (Ligustrum vulgare)
- wych elm (Ulmus glabra)
Forestart
Create 29 seed stands and orchards covering 19 species (see details below). The source-identified seed stands will be planted using material from autochthonous populations in England as indicated. The qualified Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) orchard will also act as clone archive for the Conifer Breeding Coop.
Source-identified seed stands:
- Bird cherry (Prunus padus) - regions 30 and 40
- Hazel (Corylus avellana) - regions 30 and 40
- Wild privet (Ligustrum vulgare) - region 40
- Spindle (Euonymus europaeus) - regions 30 and 40
- Black poplar (Populus nigra) - English provenance
- Wayfaring tree (Viburnum lantana) - regions 30 and 40
- Crack willow (Salix fragilis) - English provenance
- Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) - regions 30 and 40
- Dog rose (Rosa canina) - region 30 and 40
- Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea) - regions 30 and 40
- Field rose (Rosa arvensis) - region 30 and 40
- Field maple (Acer campestre) - regions 30 and 40
- Grey alder (Alnus incana) - region 40
- Guelder rose (Viburnum opulus) - regions 30 and 40
Qualified orchards:
- Service tree (Sorbus torminalis) - selections for timber quality
- Norway spruce (Picea abies) - production selections
- Wild cherry (Prunus avium) - regions 30 and 40
- Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
Tested orchard:
- Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) - production selections
Duchy of Cornwall
Bring an existing selected sessile oak (Quercus petraea) seed stand (region of provenance 40) into management, through thinning, mulching, and installing deer fencing.
Earth Trust / Sotterley Estate / Future Trees Trust
Through selective thinning, convert a progeny trial at Earth Trust (Oxfordshire) into a Tested pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) seed orchard and a progeny trial at Sotterley Estate into a tested sessile oak (Q. petraea) seed orchard. The trials were originally established in 2003 and growth and form data collected over 18 years, which will be used to design the rogueing strategies.
Woodley Gate Account
Extend and improve an existing source-identified sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) seed stand (region of provenance 40), through selective thinning, singling of coppice, and removal of undergrowth. The resulting stand will be registered on the Register of UK Basic Materials as a selected seed stand, subject to Forest Reproductive Material (FRM) inspection.
Definition of terms
Basic material
The plant material from which FRM is derived and consists of seed stands, seed orchards, parent material held by tree breeders in archives, individual clones and clonal mixtures.
Forest Reproductive Material (FRM)
Can consist of fruit, seeds, and cones; all parts of plants obtained by vegetative propagation including embryos; and plant produced from any of these.
FRM (qualified)
Derives from the selection of superior individual trees which have not undergone any form of testing.
FRM (selected)
Collected from stands showing superior characteristics for example better form, growth rate, health.
FRM (source-identified)
This comes from general or specific locations within a single region of provenance or native seed zone with an altitude band but with no specific superior qualities recognised.
FRM (tested)
Derives from the selection or individual trees or stands which have been evaluated for genetic quality or, in comparison to accepted standards, have been shown to be superior.
Regions of provenance
Defined areas within which similar ecological and climatic conditions are found. They provide a framework for specifying sources of FRM.
The Register of UK Basic Materials
The source of all information on approved basic material.
Plus Tree
A tree that is selected for breeding programmes because of its superior characteristics, such as excellent form, timber volume, trunk straightness, or increase resistance to disease.
Seed orchards
Sources based on known individuals derived from tree breeding programmes. They can be qualified or tested.
Seed stand
Specifically defined areas or groups of trees with identified boundaries. They can be source-identified, selected, or tested.