Picea
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Kayla Herriman Manager USDA FS - R6 Bend Seed Extractory 63095 Deschutes Market Road Bend, Oregon 97701 kayla.herriman@usda.gov http://fsweb-ochdes.r6.fs.fed.us/seedextractory/ex |
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| Family Scientific Name: | Pinaceae | ||
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| Family Common Name: | Pine | ||
| Scientific Name: | Picea | ||
| Common Name: | spruce | ||
| Propagation Goal: | Seeds | ||
| ProductType: | Propagules (seeds, cutings, poles, etc.) | ||
| Stock Type: | seed | ||
| Target Specifications: | Excerpt from the Woody Plant Seed Manual: Cones mature in 2 years. Cones are 3 to 6 cm long and each scale bears 2 seeds. Spruce seeds are small, oblong to acute at the base, with a single well-developed wing that is the primary agent for dispersal. | ||
| Propagule Collection: |
Collection – Cones are removed from trees and stored in mesh bags, one bushel per bag. Pre-Processing – Bags of cones are pre-dried on racks in a well-ventilated indoor storage area. Bags should be turned daily until cones are open. Kiln drying is typically required and bags should be left unopened so that seed does not fall through the screening on the bottom of the tray. Cones are then kiln dried at 90-100° F for 6-12 hours. According to The Woody Plant Seed Manual, a rewetting and redrying process can help cones open. Processing – All processing of Picea must take place in 60° temps or less to ensure that pitch is hardened. Extraction: Small lots can be sieved with the large sieve or a combination of small sieves. Cone material rarely needs to be run on the tumbler. If it is necessary, do not tumble immediately after kiln drying even if air temp is low because pitch will be soft. Mesh may be added to the first screens so that seed cannot fall through. Dust and large cone pieces are screened on the tumbler and be sure to check all barrels for seed before tossing inerts. De-winging: Do not de-wing Picea until after screening of most of the coarse inert material has occurred. There are multiple options for de-winging Picea including: 1) a wet de-winging in the Mortar Mixer, 2) the Missoula, using a harsh liner and seed passing through quickly so that it does not bruise, 3) hand-rubbing if lot is small enough. Finishing should happen right after de-winging, so the lot does not sit and mold. Floating is typically required and this process can help remove wings if there are any remaining. Finishing: Seeds can typically go straight from de-winging to the Gravity Table or CSB (as long as they are dry enough) to improve fill and purity. Sieves may also be used (suggestions: Sieves #10, #20). If not able to separate pitch on a machine, it must be floated out. Floating (Large Lots): Float large lots outside. Fill basin to no more than 1/3 full of seed, then add water to within 1” of top. Drain off pitch and water, then refill and drain at least 2 more times until most of the pitch is separated. Run seed through the basin with water into a bread tray and spread to a 1” or less layer. Dry immediately. Floating (Small Lots): Small lots can be floated in the Finishing Room sink. Fill container no more than 1/3 full of seed, then add water to within 1” of top. Use a spatula or net to remove all seed from the top of the water and drain the remaining water and pitch over a sieve. Refill the container and repeat at least 2 more times. Use the seed dryer to dry seed immediately – spread seed to a 1” or less layer on trays. |
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| Propagule Processing: |
GENUS SPECIES Average of SEED/LB Average of PURITY% Average of FILL% Average of EST PLS/BAG Picea breweriana 55,837 98 97 1,790 Picea engelmannii 195,157 97 74 75,519 Picea X lutzii 196,240 98 92 53,190 This Picea information comes from processing records at BSE from collections seasons 1990 through 2023. Not enough data for other species. |
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| References: | Woody Plant Seed Manual | ||
Citation:
Herriman, Kayla ; Marinello, Alexa . 2024. Propagation protocol for production of Propagules (seeds, cutings, poles, etc.) Picea Seeds seed; USDA FS - R6 Bend Seed Extractory Bend, Oregon. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2025/02/24). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.
