United States Department of Agriculture - Forest Service	Southern Research Station 200 W.T. Weaver Boulevard Asheville, NC 28804
	Date:   August 27, 2002 Science Contact: James P. Barnett  318-473-7214 jpbarnett@fs.fed.us News Release Contact: Zoë Hoyle 828-257-4388 zhoyle@fs.fed.us

Guidelines for Producing Quality Longleaf Pine Seeds

Asheville,NC -- Over the past decade, interest in restoring longleaf pine to sites in the South has grown dramatically. One of the limitations to reforestation efforts has been a lack of high-quality seeds. A new set of guidelines by Jim Barnett and John McGilvray is now available in both electronic and printed formats.

Unlike most southern pines, longleaf pine seeds are unusually sensitive to damage and present unique challenges for collection and storage. Longleaf seeds-large and fragile with thin seedcoats-do not germinate well if cones are not fully mature. To further complicate matters, the seeds have an extremely short dormancy period, often germinating immediately after separating from the cone. In addition, longleaf pine seed production is uneven, varying greatly from year to year and place to place.

In convenient pamphlet format, Barnett, project leader of the SRS Southern Pine Forests unit in Pineville, LA, and McGilvray, retired biological technician from the same unit, present detailed, research-based guidelines for collecting and processing both cones and seeds, sowing seeds, and caring for seedlings.

For more information: Jim Barnett at (318-473-7216) or jpbarnett@fs.fed.us

Hard copies of "Guidelines for Producing Quality Longleaf Pine Seeds" can be ordered by email at pubrequest@srs.fs.usda.gov or fax at (828-259-0520). Written requests should be made to

Southern Research Station
PO Box 2680
Asheville, NC 28802-2680.

Include the publication number (GTR-SRS-52) in all requests. Electronic copies are available from the SRS website at /pubs/viewpub.jsp?index=4538

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