The tests are necessary because sometimes a gene mechanism that works in one kind of plant fails in another. For example, graduate student Rozi Mohamed found that a disease resistance gene that was effective in tobacco was no help to poplar against diseases it faces in the Pacific Northwest. All of the cooperative's work so far has been with poplars. Poplars were chosen because they are a burgeoning new crop in the region and especially amenable to genetic engineering. Now the cooperative can do it with just about any kind of poplar and other work has taken precedence.
Several projects seek to improve trees' resistance to insects, herbicides, and disease.
The new traits controlled by the genes are expected not only to reduce pest control costs, but also to improve poplar's environmental attributes. The biggest current project, however, is developing ways to control the flowering of trees. Control is necessary both to make trees flower when breeders want them to and to keep them from flowering any other time. All tree breeders have an interest in controlling flowering so that they can cross desired varieties of trees without waiting the years it takes for trees to become sexually mature. Conversely, breeders do not want trees in production plantations to flower.