Highlights of 2004-2005

• PNWTIRC personnel published 15 journal articles, PNWTIRC Reports, proposals, software programs, and abstracts, and gave 4 research presentations.
• We published the third and final Pollen Contamination Study paper as a PNWTIRC report, and the associated Pollen Flow program (PFL) is now available at the PNWTIRC website.
• We published the Proceedings of the Genetics and Growth Modeling Workshop on the PNWTIRC website, and Glenn Howe summarized workshop activities and conclusions at an IUFRO Conference entitled Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding in the Age of Genomics: Progress and Future, which was held in Charleston, South Carolina.
• We helped organize a workshop entitled Cold Hardiness Testing in Advanced-generation Cooperative Tree Improvement Programs. This workshop was jointly organized by the NWTIC and PNWTIRC. Marilyn Cherry gave two talks and Glenn Howe gave one talk at the workshop.
• Graft survival in the Miniaturized Seed Orchard Study is now 95% after minimal grafting and transplanting in the spring of 2005. We pruned the trees to control tree height and to remove rootstock branches.
• In the spring of 2005, we began a pruning study at the Roseburg Resources Regeneration Center Vaughn miniaturized seed orchard.
• In June of 2005, in conjunction with the PNWTIRC 2005 Annual Meeting, we held two field trips relating to the Miniaturized Seed Orchard Study. As member feedback on the field trips was positive, we are planning on having more annual meeting field trips in the future.
• At the 2004 annual meeting, the PNWTIRC decided to concentrate new activities on wood quality and genetics research. Glenn Howe and Marilyn Cherry developed and distributed a detailed wood quality research proposal to members for review. Members voted to approve this study at the 2005 Annual Meeting. The study commenced during the summer of 2005.
• Vikas Vikram arrived in June 2005 to pursue his M.S. with the PNWTIRC. Vikas comes from India, and has a Bachelors of Science in Forestry from Kerala Agricultural University, India. Vikas will be working on the wood quality study for his thesis.

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