PFRA Prairie Shelterbelt Program

The Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada-PFRA promotes the environmental and economic benefits of agroforestry systems such as shelterbelts, riparian buffers, silvopasture and alley cropping. This is done through research, technology transfer and the provision of tree and shrub seedlings to Prairie Farms through the Prairie Shelterbelt Program.

Eligibility

The following are eligible for all tree and shrub seedlings produced by the Prairie Shelterbelt Program:

• Rural land owners of 5 acres (2 ha) or more throughout MB, SK, AB and the Peace River Region of BC
• Managers of federal, provincial, or municipal public lands for establishment of shelterbelts, buffers or research trials
• First Nations councils and individuals for planting on reserve land
• The plant material supplied is to be used for shelterbelt purposes and not as landscape material
• Commercial enterprises, golf courses, resort areas and private holdings in urban areas are NOT eligible for seedlings
• Community service organizations must access seedlings for planting projects on eligible land with a signed application from an eligible land owner or land manager

How to Apply

Applications are available from agricultural resource offices, county offices, AAFC-PFRA office, the AAFC-PFRA Shelterbelt Centre, or online at www.agr.gc.ca/pfra/shelterbelt_e.htm.

Applications are accepted from June 1 to March 15 every year. All applications for seedlings must be completed in full, signed and accompanied by a diagram of the planting. The application must state the legal land location and specify the planting locations, certifying that the plants will not be sold or given to another party and authorizing PFRA staff to inspect the planted trees at any reasonable time. Incomplete applications will be returned.

Applications are now rated and allocated on a priority basis according to potential agri-environmental value, planting size and seedling selections.

Download the Prairie Shelterbelt Program Application for Trees.
(PDF Format, 1.26MB, may take a while to download. Best viewed with Adobe 8.1 or higher.)

Distribution

Tree and shrub distribution runs from late April to mid May of each year. Seedlings are shipped collect to the nearest delivery point based on your planting location. An order confirmation stating your pick up destination will be mailed to you. Shipping charges are collected upon receipt of seedlings.

More information on shelterbelts can be obtained from
www.agr.gc.ca/pfra/shelterbelt_e.htm or by emailing pfratree@agr.gc.ca.

 

New Approach in Supplying Hybrid Poplars Designed to Add Genetic Diversity

Starting with the 2008 growing season, all orders of hybrid poplars sent to rural landowners through the AAFC-PFRA Prairie Shelterbelt Program will be made up of a specially selected mix of hardy, poplar clones. Previously, rural landowners could custom order the clones they wanted from the Shelterbelt Program's list of approved hybrids. It was an approach that often led to plantings containing only one type of clone. The resulting trees were genetically identical, all with the same strengths and weaknesses. A concern for PFRA was the possibility that these monoculture plantings could be easily damaged or wiped out by a large infestation of pests or a sudden change in climate.

Providing a mixture of the hardiest PFRA poplar clones will leave hybrid poplar plantings much less vulnerable to such a danger. Clones in the mixture will be selected from parent plants that have gone through stringent test results covering pest and disease resistance, growth rate, adaptability to soil and climate conditions, and compatibility with other hybrids. To ensure optimal genetic diversity, the mixtures will contain both female and male hybrids.

The hybrid mix contains PFRA poplar clones such as Okanese, Katepwa, Hill, CanAm, Assiniboine and Walker. The poplar clones in the mix share similar characteristics such as semi-upright form and fast growth rate.

Over the years, this mix can and will change as new clones are developed. However, the overall objective will remain the same - to strengthen and improve the longevity of hybrid poplar plantings.

What is a hybrid poplar clone?

A clone is a plant developed from vegetative reproduction of a single tree. That is, it is not reproduced using flowers or seeds, but by taking a cutting or hardwood segment from a selected tree. When planted under proper conditions, the cutting will spontaneously develop roots and shoots, rapidly growing into a new tree. This process can be repeated continuously, allowing the same selected tree to be replicated an unlimited number of times. If cuttings from one tree are planted in an area with uniform soil, the resulting trees will be exactly the same (clones). They will grow to the same height, have the same form, the leaves will come out and drop off at the same time, and insect and disease infections will impact all the clones at once.

 

Download the Prairie Shelterbelt Program Application for Trees.
(PDF Format, 1.26MB. Best viewed with Adobe 8.1 or higher.)

For more information on receiving mixed hybrid poplar through the Prairie Shelterbelt Program or a listing of commercial nurseries which carry individual hybrid poplar clones, please contact the AAFC-PFRA Shelterbelt Centre at
1-866-766-2284 or pfratree@agr.gc.ca or ww.agr.gc.ca/pfra/shelterbelt_e.htm.