TreeLines
May 2023 – 1st Edition
TreeLines
May 2023 – 1st Edition
TreeLines
May 2023 – 1st Edition
Are All Controlled Pollinated Seedlings Equal?
Are All Controlled Pollinated Seedlings Equal?
Are All Controlled Pollinated Seedlings Equal?
Large-scale control pollination to make hybrid crosses is a production technique – many companies can do it. But the result is not the same.
ArborGen has been at the forefront of large-scale control pollination, testing and producing mass-control pollinated seedlings (MCP®) for the market much longer than any other U.S. company.
We now have more than 100 MCP families adapted to every growing region across the loblolly pine natural range from Virginia to Texas.
Benefiting from more than 70 years of research from our parent companies (MeadWestvaco, International Paper, and Fletcher Challenge), we have long-term field trials and more than 20 years of commercial data. We now have more than 1000 acres of MCP orchards. Some other producers have rushed in to begin control pollination efforts, but it will take years and years to match our levels of gain and actual performance data.
Here’s the reason. After crosses are made from our highly tested parent trees, we create test plots. At approximately age six, we determine those highest-performing trees. Here’s what has to happen next:
ArborGen has four categories of its Mass Control Pollinated (MCP) hybrids separated by increasingly higher levels of volume growth while maintaining the same high standards for log quality depending on the seedling’s parents.
As with our open-pollinated (OP) seedlings, we have MCP Advanced, Select, and Elite. With MCP, we offer an even higher-performing hybrid called “MCP 2.0.” Each category has clearly defined levels of gain and value to meet every landowner’s needs.
The performance scores in the table above are for the Coastal region.
We continue to test hundreds of new hybrids for future introduction with more than 600 field trials in place. With the stringent criteria we place on volume growth, straightness, disease resistance, and forking, you can be assured that any new MCP families we produce will be top performers.
Webinar Announcement
We are excited to announce that we will be hosting another live webinar on “How to Find Money on Your Forest Land!”
You’ll walk away knowing:
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- Which seedlings will give you the most bang for your buck
- How to find out what planting scenarios will give you the best options at harvest
- The difference between common seedling types
- Appropriate silviculture practices
Joining us is our special guest, Greg Hay, ArborGen Reforestation Advisor with over 45 years of experience – much of it as a Silviculturist, Herbicide Consultant, and Advanced Genetics Consultant. Greg will cover appropriate silviculture practices and answer your questions.
You’ll get valuable guidance on the following:
- Appropriate, specific site preparation
- Weed and Tip Moth control
- Fertilization, competition for growth, and much more!
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn how to find money on your forest land.
Paul Jeffreys, Ph.D.
Western Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi
205-712-9582
Austin Heine
North Carolina and Virginia
910-660-3209
Shannon Stewart
Eastern Texas, Southern Louisiana
936-239-6189
Kylie Burdette
South Carolina
864-650-4454
Jason Cromer
Florida Gulf Coast, South Alabama
229-310-0648
Greg Hay
Arkansas, Northern Louisiana, and Oklahoma
501-350-4217
Tim Gables
Georgia & Eastern Tennessee
912-655-1725
Jason Watson
Director, U.S. Sales
404-840-7489
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