Grant: CCI Applied Research and Development Grants

Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea) is a popular Christmas tree in Canada, especially in the Atlantic provinces, due to its shape, color, and fragrance. Growers in Nova Scotia mostly rely on wild propagation of new trees that arise due to open pollination. This practice has drawbacks such as high genetic variability, understocking, and decreased quality due to high-grading. To stay competitive against artificial trees, the fresh cut Christmas tree industry needs to produce trees with longer needle retention and better aesthetics (freshness, form, density, greenness, shape, etc). Tissue culture can help achieve this by mass producing seedlings with these desired traits. However, tissue culture methods for Balsam Fir need to be optimized to improve marketable trees for the industry and ensure long term economic success of the sector. As a result, Perennia Food and Agriculture Cooperation and the Christmas Tree Council of Nova Scotia will partner with Nova Scotia Community College to optimize tissue culture methods to enhance stomatic embryo initiation rates and cryopreservation methods, as well as develop a protocol for secondary somatic embryogenesis. The development and optimization of tissue culture protocols for Balsam Fir will streamline the methodology to create seedlings (on mass) that possess superior needle retention and aesthetic traits that will be planted by producers. The improved protocols will result in mass production of Balsam Fir that have a more attractive appearance and longer needle retention, which will increase the demand for Nova Scotia-grown Christmas trees. Overall, optimized tissue culture protocols will lead to a more profitable and sustainable Christmas tree industry provincially and nationally.