Tree Seed Centre

The Tree Seed Centre is the primary provider of cone and seed services to B.C.'s forest industry and B.C. government staff.

Tree Seed Centre clients include forest licensees, woodlot licensees, District and B.C. Timber Sales, seed orchards, forest nurseries, tree seed dealers, First Nations, researchers, educators and the public.

What we do

• Cone and seed evaluations
• Cone receipt, storage and conditioning
• Seed extraction and processing
• Testing new and stored seedlots
• Testing cones and seed in processing
• Seedlot registration and certification
• Seed storage
• Seed withdrawal, preparation and shipping to clients for seedlot production, research or other purposes
• Seedlot and process information management and reporting
• Research and extension
• Training and method improvement

Clients must send seed to the Tree Seed Centre for testing, registration and long-term storage if the seed is to be used to reforest Crown land and some types of privately managed forest tenures.

Seed processing and preparation services are provided by the Tree Seed Centre on a fee for service basis. Other services are provided at no charge to clients.

• Refer to the TSSR Cone and Seed Fee Summary

Clients may choose to have cones and seed processed at private extractors or have seed prepared for sowing at nurseries.

Services

Seedlot registration and certification
All seed destined for Crown land reforestation must be registered. Requirements for natural stand, seed orchard and non-B.C. seedlots are legislated in the Chief Forester's Standards for Seed Use.

Seed storage
Conifer tree seed is stored under optimal conditions to ensure successful long-term storage and maintenance of seed physical quality. Seed stored at the Tree Seed Centre fulfills reforestation needs, provides a contingency for catastrophic losses and acts as a seed bank for gene conservation.

Withdrawal requests
Seed is primarily requested for reforestation (sowing requests), and the Tree Seed Centre also facilitates distribution of seed for research and other purposes. Requests are either sent dry or pretreated at our facility.

Seed testing
Testing uses standardized sampling, testing and evaluation practices to quantify seedlot attributes. Seedlot results are available for moisture content, purity, germination, seeds per gram, and possibly fungal testing. The Tree Seed Centre's testing area also plays a vital role in quality assurance and research.

Cone and seed processing
Processing involves detailed seedlot evaluation, cone conditioning, seed extraction from cones (cone processing) and  removal of debris and non-viable seed (seed processing).

Cone and seed improvement
The Tree Seed Centre conducts applied and basic research on tree seed. It constructs and summarizes quality assurance programs and performs education, extension and communication activities.