Boreal Forest Plant & Seed Technology Access Center

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The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) provides applied research and support for businesses and communities through its Boreal Research Institute (BRI) located in Peace River, Alberta. The boreal forest is the largest public resource in Canada. The people of Canada look to the boreal forest to provide economic, environmental, and cultural resources. The importance of the boreal forest is expressed in the strengthening of historic regulations protecting soil and water, and in the additional of regulations addressing biodiversity, wildlife habitat, and traditional land use. Increased economic activity and climate change are threatening the sustainability of the forest and its ability to provide all of the values Canadians desire from it. In stark contrast to our ability to plant and grow commercial spruce and pine trees, our ability to establish other plant species is limited by knowledge, capacity, and skilled labour. Innovative and effective plant and seed technologies are needed to reduce the impact of these challenges and their associated costs. Plant and seed technologies is an emergent field in northern Alberta that refers to methods for pre-treating seeds, including chemical treatments, and physical treatments such as pelleting. Plant and seed technologies also includes developing equipment to efficiently collect, handle, test and deliver seed as well as establishing orchards. Technology solutions are required for incorporation of traditional values in reforesting disturbances such as harvest blocks, access roads, landings, in-bush processing sites, and after severe wildfire or insect outbreaks where reforestation technologies are needed as part of a response to climate change.