Workshop on Forest Genetic Common Gardens

In November 2024, the IUFRO Unit 2.02.13 Breeding and Genetic Resources of Mediterranean Conifers organized a hybrid Workshop on Forest Genetic Common Gardens in Madrid, Spain, in collaboration with IUFRO Units 2.04.00 Genetics and 2.04.02 Breeding strategy and progeny evaluation. 

Given that common garden experimental networks are essential infrastructures that provide experimental data to enable research in forest tree breeding, selection methods, adaptive potential, plasticity, evolvability, conservation and sustainable use of forest tree species under climate change, the key issues raised and discussed during the workshop covered a wide spectrum on the fields of genetics and breeding, including: 

• The exploration of ways to examine the state of the art of existing genetic trial networks
• Advanced experimental designs to address the main aims of field experiments
• The application of new tools (phenotyping, genotyping, modelling)
• Data sharing - repositories and analytical methods issues 
• The need for recommendations for the establishment and analysis of new genetic trial networks
• The traits that need to be considered in the face of climate change, and the potential of multi-trait selection methods. 

The 28 oral presentations offered tackled all the above topics and triggered lively and thought-provoking discussions. In conclusion, the significance of genetic trials was highlighted together with the fields where additional actions need to be taken in the frame of the scope and activities of the IUFRO WP 2.02.13 and in collaboration with other potential partners.

The workshop, which was organized by Dr. Ricardo Alia, took place in the Headquarters of Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) and was co-sponsored and/or supported by the EU projects Optforests and Forgenius. In total 24 countries from across the globe were represented and 114 participants attended the workshop either in person or online. 

Report from the Workshop of the IUFRO Working Party 2.02.13 Breeding and Genetic Resources of Mediterranean Conifers on Forest Genetic Common Gardens held in Madrid, 27-29 November 2024

By Ricardo Alia, INIA-CSIC, Deputy Coordinator of WP 2.02.13 Breeding and genetic resources of Mediterranean conifers