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Plant Materials Program & National Ash Tree Seed Collection Initiative

Plant Materials Program

National Ash Tree Seed Collection Initiative

In the event that the emerald ash borer cannot be contained, the Rose Lake Plant Materials Center is taking steps to see that the ash tree doesn't vanish forever.

The PMC has initiated the National Ash Tree Seed Collection Initiative. An agreement has been established to store ash tree seed at the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation in Fort Collins, Colo. The U.S. Forest Service has agreed to x-ray the collected ash seed to determine sound seed for storage. If the ash tree populations are completely decimated by the ash borer, the stored seeds can be used as the genetic base for work to re-establish ash trees for future generations.

The PMC is seeking volunteers to collect seed from ash trees throughout the U.S. in the growing regions of ash trees. Additional information on the initiative along with identifying and collecting ash seed is contained in the documents linked below.

These documents require  Adobe Acrobat Reader or Microsoft Power Point

Adobe Acrobat DocumentCollection form & instructions (66 KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentLetter from State Conservationist (249 KB)
Tree and Site Identification
Adobe Acrobat DocumentAsh Tree Identification Fact Sheet (690 KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentPhotos of Ash Trees, Leaves & Seed (585 KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentMajor Land Resource Areas Map (455 KB)
  Tree Identification & Seed Collection Presentation (565 KB) Right click on link and save to your computer
Adobe Acrobat DocumentTree Identification & Seed Collection Presentation (542 KB) (same as above in PDF format)
 Adobe Acrobat DocumentGuide to Determine Seed Quality and Quantity for Submission (100 KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentAsh Seed Identification Card (87 KB) Template for making a customized identification tool

Promotion Materials
Adobe Acrobat DocumentNational Ash Seed Collection Initiative Poster* (874 KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentNational Ash Seed Collection Initiative Brochure (271 KB)
  National Ash Seed Collection Presentation (1.6 MB) Right click on link and save to your computer

Adobe Acrobat DocumentAsh Tree Identification Flyer* (599KB)

* hard copies available upon request, contact the Rose Lake PMC

Ash-Related Links

Emerald Ash Borer Info - Web site created by the USDA, USDA Land Grant colleges and the Michigan Department of Agriculture to provide up-to-date information on the emerald ash borer and related efforts.
National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation - The National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation conserves genetic resources of crops and animals important to US agriculture and landscapes. The center will store the collected ash tree seeds.

Plant Materials Program

The Plant Materials program provides native plants that can help solve natural resource problems. Plant material may be developed for uses including biomass production, carbon sequestration, erosion reduction, wetland restoration, water quality improvement, streambank and riparian area protection, coastal dune stabilization, and other special conservation treatment needs. 

Researchers at the Plant Materials Centers seek out plants that show promise for meeting an identified conservation need and test their performance. After species are proven in performance, they are named and released to commercial growers for production and sale as conservation plants to the public. The work at the Rose Lake Plant Materials Center is carried out cooperatively with state and Federal agencies, commercial businesses, and seed and nursery associations.

For more information on the Rose Lake Plant Materials Center, and the National NRCS Plant Materials Program, go to the Rose Lake Plant Materials Center Web page.

Publications

These documents require Adobe Acrobat Reader

Rose Lake PMC Plant Releases
 Adobe Acrobat DocumentRiverbend Germplasm silky willow (206KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentSouthlow Michigan Germplasm Indiangrass (102KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentLeelanau Germplasm highbush cranberry (374KB)
Adobe Acrobat Document'Affinity' Northern white cedar (155KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentPlant Releases Available to Commercial Growers (759KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentRose Lake Plant Materials Center brochure (126KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentAlcona Germplasm Dillenius’ Tick-Trefoil (306KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentGrant Germplasm Panicledleaf Tick-Trefoil (251KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentNative Warm Season Grasses (1.2 MB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentIcy Blue Germplasm Canada Wild Rye (480 KB)
Adobe Acrobat Document'Imperial' Carolina Poplar (471 KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentIndigo Silky Dogwood (316 KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentLancer Perennial Pea (375 KB)
Adobe Acrobat Document'Magenta' Hybrid Crabapple (431 KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentPrairie View Big Bluestem (389 KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentPrairie View Indian Grass (385 KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentPrairie View Little Bluestem (385 KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentRoselow Sargent Crabapple (447 KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentSouthlow Michigan Germplasm Big Bluestem (428 KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentSouthlow Michigan Germplasm Little Bluestem (468 KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentSouthlow Michigan Germplasm Switchgrass (450 KB)

Annual Activity Report
 Adobe Acrobat Document2007 Report (464KB)

Brochures
 Adobe Acrobat DocumentWild Cranberries

Rose Lake PMC Newsletters
 Adobe Acrobat DocumentSpring 2008  (439KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentWinter 2008 (407KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentSeptember 2007 (477KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentSpring 2007 (646KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentWinter 2007 (774KB)

Plant Materials Specialist

Dave Burgdorf

(517) 641-7831

PMC Staff

John Leif - PMC Manager
John Durling - Agronomist
Sergio Perez - Biological Technician
Elaine Gerona - Administrative Assistant

Contact the Rose Lake Plant Materials Center

Rose Lake Plant Materials Center
7472 Stoll Road
East Lansing, Michigan 48823
(517) 641-6300

National Plant Materials Program