Project information
Project manager at Linnaeus University
Johan Fransson
Other project members
Tiina Ylioja, Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE) (project manager), Eija Honkavaara and Roope Näsi, Finnish Geospatial Research Institute
Participating organisations
Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE) (project owner), Linnaeus University, Finnish Geospatial Research Institute
Funder
Stiftelsen Skogssällskapet
Timetable
April 1, 2024 – 31 March, 2026
Subject
Forestry and wood technology (Department of Forestry and Wood Technology, Faculty of Technology)
Research groups
Forest Management, The Bridge
Knowledge Environment
Linnaeus Knowledge Environment: Green Sustainable Development
More about the project
Seed orchards form a crucial link between tree breeding programmes and practical forestry. Variations in flowering and cone production between years affect both the genetic composition and quality of produced seed. However, efficient methods for monitoring these variations across larger orchards are currently lacking.
This project explores how drone-based remote sensing and image analysis can be used to map flowering and identify healthy and damaged cones in spruce seed orchards. By combining high-resolution RGB, multispectral and hyperspectral data, new methods are developed to automatically analyse variation between trees and clones.
The results can support more precise and targeted management of seed orchards, for example through optimised fertilisation, irrigation and harvesting. In the long term, this can improve both productivity and genetic quality in future forests.
The project is part of the research in the Forest Management research group, the collaboration The Bridge, and the Linnaeus Knowledge Environment Green Sustainable Development.
