TreeLines

October 2025 - 2nd Edition

Introducing ArborGen’s New Pine Product Categories & Simplifying the Science of Seedling Selection

As forestry markets evolve, so should the tools we use to make smarter planting decisions. ArborGen’s new pine product categories and AG Scoring System represent a new era of transparency and innovation – turning decades of research into a simple, powerful way to select the best genetics for your land and your long-term goals.

A Smarter, Clearer Way to Choose the Right Genetics

ArborGen is simplifying the science of seedling selection. Beginning with the 2026 crop year, our new pine product categories make it easier than ever to match the right genetics to your goals and site conditions.

After more than a decade with our previous structure, we took a fresh look at how we present our products. The result is more than new names – it’s a clearer, data-driven framework that helps landowners and foresters make confident, informed decisions.

We’ve streamlined our lineup into five simple, performance-based categories:

OP | Reliable, proven performance with balanced return.
OP Pro | Enhanced growth and disease resistance for improved productivity.
MCP® | ArborGen’s signature Mass Control Pollinated genetics for greater sawtimber potential.
MCP® Pro | Exceptional gains in growth, form, and rust resistance.
MCP® Pro+ | The highest-performing genetics available anywhere, developed and validated through years of testing.

Each step up represents greater genetic improvement, with MCP® Pro+ delivering the strongest combination of productivity, disease resistance, and form for each region.

Treelines Oct2025 Articlegraphic 2Ndedition Arborgen Tree Seedlings Introducing Arborgen’s New Pine Product Categories &Amp; Simplifying The Science Of Seedling Selection

You can check out this video with more details – by understanding each category’s unique advantages, landowners can make more informed decisions that maximize productivity and long-term return across every region.

What Powers These New Categories: The AG Score

At the core of our rebrand is the AG Score – ArborGen’s proprietary performance index that brings clarity to complex genetic data.

The AG Score combines four key traits: growth, rust resistance, stem straightness, and forking, into a single number. This makes it simple to compare families within a region and across categories.

In other words: You can now see exactly how each family performs and what that means for your bottom line.

While detailed trait values remain available for those who want deeper insight, the AG Score gives you a transparent, data-backed snapshot of overall performance and sawtimber potential – helping you make more confident, data-driven decisions.

Treelines Oct2025 Articlequote 2Ndedition Arborgen Tree Seedlings Introducing Arborgen’s New Pine Product Categories &Amp; Simplifying The Science Of Seedling Selection

Responding to a Changing Forestry Market

The southeastern forestry landscape is shifting. Recent pulp and paper mill closures and an increase in new sawmill projects are changing what landowners value most in their plantations.

For more than 15 years, ArborGen’s MCP® breeding and testing program has been refining genetic families to meet these evolving market needs – developing trees with superior growth, quality, and flexibility for the future.

Since we first produced MCP® seedlings in 2007, our research has consistently focused on improving sawtimber potential. The new product categories reflect this long-term commitment and give customers the clarity and transparency they’ve been asking for.

Genetics That Create Real Value

The genetics you plant determine your forest’s productivity – and once they’re in the ground, that potential is locked in.

Choosing well-tested MCP® genetics can make a dramatic difference in return on investment. In some regions, the best MCP® Pro and MCP® Pro+ families can nearly double bare-land value compared to standard OP seedlings.

These gains come from measurable improvements in growth rate, stem form, rust resistance, and reduced forking – all traits that increase sawtimber yields and maximize the value of every acre.

Simply put: the right genetics don’t just grow trees – they grow opportunity, resilience, and profit.

Estimated Return on Investment by Category – Coastal Region

Ready to Grow Smarter?

Every site is unique – and your local ArborGen Reforestation Advisor can help you interpret AG Scores, explore regional data, and choose the best seedlings for your management objectives. Connect with your Reforestation Advisor today!

Find Your Reforestation Advisor

Literature Cited

Bryant, R., Gerwig, D., Steel, V., & Dougherty, P. (2009). Superior Parents Produce Superior MCP Families. Southern Forest Tree Improvement Conference.

Cumbie, W. P., Isik, F., & McKeand, S. E. (2012). Genetic Improvement of Sawtimber Potential in Loblolly Pine. Forest Science, 58(2), 168–177.

McKeand, S. E., Abt, R. C., Allen, H. L., Li, B. L., & Catts, G. P. (2006). What are the best loblolly pine genotypes worth to landowners? Journal of Forestry, 104(7), 352–358.

Authored by Dr. Patrick Cumbie

Patrick Cumbie, PhD, is the Vice President of Product Development for ArborGen. He has been involved in forest research and development for 23 years and has largely focused on planning and implementing accelerated breeding programs in loblolly pine. Before joining ArborGen in 2010, Patrick was a research forester for Weyerhaeuser Company and worked for the Cooperative Tree Improvement Program at NC State University. In his current role, Patrick manages product development activities in the US and Brazil, including breeding, seed production, and genomics. He received his PhD in Forestry from NC State University and is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Forestry & Environmental Resources.