GENETICS IN THE NEWS, IN THE GROUND, IN THE FUTURE
The mapping of the human genome has recently received major coverage from every U.S. publication. To understand what it meant, we needed all the help we could get and found no better helper than The Economist. Its 14-page Survey is at http://www.economist.com/editorial/freeforall/20000701/su5076.html. "The Human Genome" contains seven sections. No. 4 "Only Connect" includes a section entitled "The real genetic engineers" in which are clues about application of genetic engineering to plants. [This work has been going on in pines for several years.]
Genetic improvement (the repeated selection of seed from superior parents as opposed to genetic engineering) has been going on for 20+ years in loblolly pine. It was reported on at our 1998 seminar, and the consensus of our scientific advisors on its effects appears in the article at http://www.vardaman.com/greensheets/1998sale.htm. One thing should be remembered about improvement: each individual tree, improved or otherwise, varies in its ability to grow taller in a given number of years. For a period of 25 years, total height of unimproved trees may range from 50 to 70 feet. Improvement merely raises the whole range, i.e., total heights may then range from 60 to 80 feet. Therefore, some naturally-reseeded trees in plantations may be better than the improved seedlings that were planted.
Additional information on ongoing research can be obtained at two Internet sites:
http://www.ncfes.umn.edu/4157, the Hardwood Tree Improvement Center recently established by Purdue University and North Central Research Center, U.S. Forest Service, and
http://dendrome.ucdavis.edu, "Dendrome Forest Tree Genome Database," a project of the Institute of Forest Genetics, Pacific Southwest Research Station, U.S. Forest Service.
