Biotechnology & Forest Health: An Industry Perspective Christine Dean, PhD Anna Leon, PhD NASEM February 8, 2018
Why Now is the Right Time - Forest Genomics comes of age! • 1980s – Discovery of Polymerase Chain Reaction technique (PCR) • 1990s – Development of DNA sequencing methods • 1993 CRISPR locus identified leading to Gene Editing possibilities • 2000s – Human Genome sequenced 2003 • Poplar 2006, first forest tree sequenced • Gene Editing, Genomic Selection, Association Genetics • 2010s – Next Generation high throughput Sequencing (NGS) • Norway Spruce 2013, first conifer sequenced • Eucalyptus 2014 • Loblolly Pine 2014, Douglas Fir 2017 Key Themes: Time Scale, Technology Bundle, Cross Sector 2 | 2/8/2018
Consider Applications across Life Cycle of Industrial Plantation Harvest, Orchard & Selection, Plantation Transport, Propagation Breeding & Management Processing, Systems Testing & Products Biotech tools and applications all the way through the value chain
Forest Genetics, Biotechnology & Propagation Alternatives Selection & Improvement Propagation Novel Clonal genes techniques Transformation Propagation & Genomics Gene Selected Nursery Growing Editing material Systems Traditional Orchard Tree techniques Improvement 4 | 2/8/2018
Unknown Unknowns - Genetics, Epigenetics & Other Effects? • Propagation Example - Still so much to learn! Cassava Example – Loblolly Pine Example – Plants regenerated by somatic Differential between genetics &/or propagation embryogenesis lose disease resistance stock types in Fusiform Rust performance Beyene etal (2016) Molecular Plant Pathology [Published by WILEY] Burkhart (2015) Forest insight Conference. Valdosta, GA. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mpp.12353/full#mpp12353-fig-0001 http://internationalforest.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/BurkhartForIn2015-10-21.pdf 5 | 2/8/2018
READINESS: Technology Awareness & Rapid Adoption • Be ready to take advantage of crossover applications from Agriculture, Horticulture and other crops (just as we have in sequencing…) 6 | 2/8/2018
Plantation Management • Risk Awareness Stand ready for thinning • Risk Protection • Risk Management Stand damaged by Southern Pine Beetle Recently thinned, well managed stand Southern Pine Beetle Program: See USFS site for photo credits https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r8/forest-grasslandhealth/insects-diseases/?cid=fseprd561234 7 | 2/8/2018
Key Problem Area – Drought and Climate Change Lateral branch damage on Douglas-fir in the Pacific Northwest caused by secondary pathogens during a drought 8 | 2/8/2018
Future climate patterns and drought effects on Douglas-fir Predicted summer precipitation Predicted soil moisture change by Douglas-fir ring width decreases change by the end of the the end of the century assuming with increasing vapor pressure century assuming continued continued emissions increases. deficit. emissions increases. Brown = Brown = negative soil moisture (Restaino et al., 2016) negative precipitation change change (Walsh et al., 2014) (Walsh et al., 2014) 9 | 2/8/2018
Pine Beetle Life Cycle in a Changing Climate • Predicted probability of adaptive seasonality (left) and cold survival (right) of mountain pine beetle (Bentz et al. 2010) Kolb et al., 2016 10 | 2/8/2018
Secondary Pathogens • Disease and Drought – Secondary pathogens increase with drought – Few treatment options • Breeding focus on drought tolerance Kolb et al., 2016 11 | 2/8/2018
Invasive Diseases – Sudden Oak Death as an Example Photo: Yana Valachovic, • Early detection UCCE & identification Humboldt County are critical • Potential role for biotechnology in breeding & monitoring Douglas-fir photos: John Bienapfl, University of California, Davis 12 | 2/8/2018
Invasive diseases: a global problem Oregon, USA / Tanoak SOD Infections UK / Larch SOD Infections 13 | 2/8/2018
Invasive diseases: Issues demonstrated by SOD movement • Improved testing for quarantines • Improved management of ornamental populations Symptom Photos: Ken Peek, Alameda County Dept. of Agriculture Nursery Photo: California Oak Mortality Task Force 14 | 2/8/2018
Economically Damaging Pests – PNW Industrial Perspective Swiss Needle Cast – 2014 Cooperative analysis • >190 million board-feet ($78 million) Douglas-fir loss per year • Impacted > 2,100 jobs Oregon Photo: Robin Mulvey Photo: Dave Shaw Swiss Needle Cast Co-op 15 | 2/8/2018
Economically Damaging Pests – PNW Industrial Perspective – Laminated Root Rot • 2013 WA Academy of Sciences Report – 5-15% of Western WA & OR infected – DNR 2009-2011 harvest shows 5% loss (~$10 million shortfall in harvest revenue) – Other important root rots • Annosus root rot • Armillaria root rot • Black stain root disease 16 | 2/8/2018
Harvest, Transport, Processing, Products – Transport & ‘Product to Market’ Logistics – Certification (covered in earlier session) – Improved Quarantine Testing • Logs and Wood Products – Ensure material is free from pests • Invasive Species – Prevent new pests from entering or leaving the country Log Photos: Will Littke Pinewood Nematode Photo: http://www.uvm.edu/~dbergdah/pwn/pwn.html 17 | 2/8/2018
New Biotechnology Enabled Diagnostic Tools Arising… Example: CRISPR Mediated Diagnostics • Importance of technology development & readiness for rapid adoption • Faster, cheaper, more specific than current technology – qPCR/PCR – LAMP – ELISA Diagram: Caliendo and Hodinka, 2017 based on Gootenberg et. al., 2017 18 | 2/8/2018
Framework for Research • Focus on multiagency/multidisciplinary teams – Include private partners – Leverage and expand funding opportunities • Disease and tree improvement cooperatives provide a strong foundation – Strong relationships between universities, public agencies, and industry • Ad hoc working groups • Outreach and extension 19 | 2/8/2018
Practical Applications are Required • Diagnostic tools • Breeding Services (especially for non- commercial species) – Who will offer these services? – How will the cost structure be defined? • Benefit small and large landowners • Above all – User Friendly and Accessible – End products must be easy to implement Concentrated Basidiospore Spray inoculation system at Resistance by field personnel Screening Center (from Cowling and Young 2013) 20 | 2/8/2018
Summary • Biotechnology tools are just beginning to be used for commercial scale applications in industrial forestry • A wide range of applications will apply at different points in the life cycle of industrial plantations and products as they flow to markets • Global changes (biotic and abiotic) will affect all forests; key response focus will vary by landowner but need to be coordinated – Climate change, Invasive species, Economically damaging pests • Risk Awareness and Risk Management – Multi-disciplinary and widely applicable tools need to be developed – Multi-stakeholder participation to focus on detection – Clear deployment and outreach 21 | 2/8/2018
THANK YOU Photos: Weyerhaeuser 22 | 2/8/2018
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