Strategy, Results and Directions for Woody Crop Research Funded by the US Department of Energy, 1997 Pulping Conference Proceedings

The Department of Energy has been involved in the development of suitable plant materials and techniques for short-rotation woody crops since 1979 for energy and wood products. As program managers for the energy program, Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists developed a regionally and nationally integrated approach to improving, testing and deploying woody crop plant materials. This has involved integration among universities, the USDA Forest Service, private and state nurseries and many pulp and paper companies. the most integrated regional program and the best progress has occurred in the Pacific Northwest where over 20 new hybrid popular clones are in commercial use for fiber production, over 65,000 acres are in commercial production, and two industry research cooperatives have formed. In the North-central region, only 6-8 clones are currently suitable for commercial use but over 60 new hybrid poplar clones are in their 3rd year of clone/site testing and over 200 are in early selection phases. Disease and pest resistance is a major selection criteria. In the South, a new breeding effort for poplars is building on a few selections released by the USDA Forest Service in the 70’s plus new germplasm being collected several major river drainages. Other species recently or currently under investigation in the south include sweetgum, sycamore and black locust. The Northeast has the newest crop development program focusing on hybrid willows. all crops are being developed for multiple product use.