Laukansaari Giants — Forest tree breeding results more effectively available for conifer seedling production through innovative production technology
The production process for elite conifer seedlings based on embryo multiplication uses AI-based robotics to select the best embryos for germination from cell cultures with the best genomes. The unique process produces trees with known genes and properties more quickly and cost-effectively. These trees will thrive in the changing climate.
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The world is in urgent need for more and better trees – while forest tree breeding responds to this demand, most of the potential is not utilized
The need for wood as raw material is increasing rapidly as renewables are replacing fossil materials. It is estimated that the need for round-wood will increase by 50 per cent by the end of this century.
At the same time, significant forest areas must be left outside forestry to protect habitats and make them available for purposes other than land use, including carbon sinks and stocks.
Similarly, climate change is increasing several types of forest damage. Wildfires, pests, and pathogens are dramatically changing forest structures, tree cover and challenging wood production. This means that we must be able to produce new trees not only for reforestation in forestry but also to forestation of areas where the tree cover was lost.
Current forest tree breeding and growing methods alone are insufficient to produce enough trees with the required genetics. Reforestation efforts are already facing shortages of bred seeds and seedlings. These shortages will only grow worse as demand is becoming more unpredictable.
Technology based on somatic embryogenesis helps implement forest tree breeding results in practice at a pace never-before-seen
Somatic embryogenesis is a cell culture method to produce seedlings with known properties more quickly than with current methods. Thus far, the laborious manual methods in embryo selection and germination, where individual plant embryos are handled, have hindered the extensive deployment of somatic embryogenesis. Our technology eliminates this bottleneck.
Conventionally, forest tree breeding results are implemented in reforestation by establishing a seed orchard when the results are available. The establishment of a seed orchard may take up to ten years. After this, it is necessary to wait that the trees selected for the orchard reach maturity and start producing seeds. In addition, seed yields vary from one year to the next, and there can be a shortage of bred seeds from time to time, for example.
Forest tree breeding results can be implemented immediately when results are obtained from field tests established with trees produced through somatic embryogenesis. As a result, varietal trees with known properties can be produced on demand for reforestation. The production is not affected by flowering or seed production, as the cell cultures have been initiated and cryopreserved before the field trials.
In reforestation, only seeds, seedlings etc. of registered basic material can be marketed in the EU. The first basic material generated somatic embryogenesis was registered in Finland for reforestation in 2017.
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AI selects the best tree embryos
The robot we have developed uses AI. Unique AI model is taught to select the most viable embryos, and the robot platform places the best embryos individually in germination. The small size and modularity of the robotics enables swift application to diverse production environments.
While the robot and production process have been developed for spruce, they can be applied to other tree species. Our process and robotics are currently being tested with Radiata pine in New Zealand.
Benefits
1
Efficiently scalable production
Robotics is easy to deploy in same premises and equipment where the process is done manually, and it brings scalability to the production process. Already, a single robot alone is quicker and more precise than a human, and a single operator can use several robots simultaneously. Robots are already easy to use, and the technology is still being developed. The first international visitors decided to proceed to a pilot stage after they saw an operator start the robot.
2
Healthier and stronger trees
With varietal trees with tested properties the forest stands are healthier and grow faster. Varieties can also be selected based on other desired properties. Selection and maintaining the desired genetic background is easy given that there are thousands of varieties under testing. The viability of the selected varieties can already be seen in young stands. Increased growth is the most prominent feature.
3
Lower production costs
Robots help to reduce costs of the production of varietal trees with proven properties. The robotics we have developed has already tripled the production volume in the test environment. In addition, efficiency and precision of robots are being constantly improved.
The embryo multiplication methodology has been developed in the Research to Business project funded by the Natural Resources Institute Finland, Business Finland, and South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences.
