Wood Properties
Understanding wood properties is essential for developing high-quality forest products. At Camcore, we evaluate traits such as wood density, chemistry, and strength across a range of species. These tests help our members select and breed trees with the right characteristics for their specific needs — from pulp to timber production — contributing to stronger, more resilient, and commercially valuable forests.
TreeSonic for MOE (Modulus of Elasticity)
Measures wood stiffness and mechanical strength, helping identify high-quality timber.
Resistograph for Density
Evaluates wood density by drilling a fine needle into the tree, providing insights into wood quality and durability.
Wood Shavings for NIR Chemistry
Uses Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIR) to analyze wood chemical composition, crucial for pulp and paper production.
Data Analytics
Camcore is developing Camcore Analytics, an R Shiny-based platform designed for efficient data analysis. The Trials Analysis module enables researchers to validate data and conduct single-trial variance analysis (ANOVA). Additional modules for NIR and Resistograph data analysis are in progress, enhancing flexibility and usability for members.
Analytics App
Camcore Analytics is a powerful, flexible application designed for trial evaluation and genetic analysis. It provides researchers with interactive tools for assessing tree performance, genetic variation, climate impacts, and conservation strategies. With features like trial analysis, resistograph testing, and NIR analytics, it helps optimize breeding programs and sustainable forestry efforts.
Data Management
Camcore’s Treeplasm database, developed by Creation breeding innovations, stores 23+ million measurements from 2,500+ trials across 25 countries and 72 species. This data enables advanced genetic analysis, species selection, and multi-environment studies, helping members optimize forestry and conservation efforts worldwide.
Species Allocation
Macroenvironment classification (climate-driven)
This approach uses climatic variables such as water deficit (DEF), precipitation, and minimum temperature (Tmin) to identify environmentally homogeneous zones through clustering techniques (e.g., DTW, k-means). In addition to supporting the strategic installation of new trials—especially in transition zones or underrepresented environments—this method enables the identification of genetic materials that are better adapted to the specific conditions of each environmental cluster, offering early insights into genotype–environment associations.
Genetic Material Allocation (G×E modeling)
This method combine environmental, genetic, and phenotypic data in predictive models (e.g., Random Forest, Mixed Models). It enables the estimation of expected performance for each genotype under different environmental conditions and produces high-resolution recommendation maps for each target environments.Their outputs offers a robust framework for strategic decision-making in tree breeding programs and climate-smart deployment of forest genetic materials.
Phenotyping and Genotyping
Phenotyping
Phenotyping with terrestrial LiDAR provides high-precision 3D scanning of tree structure, allowing for accurate measurements of growth, form, and density. This advanced technology enhances data collection for genetic analysis, improving breeding programs and forest management. While highly effective, it requires moderate investment for implementation.
Genotyping
Camcore explores the use of molecular marker techniques to support both Camcore’s and our members’ internal breeding programs. Genomic selection uses thousands of markers to estimate a tree’s genetic value based on its DNA, reducing the cost and duration of field tests. This approach can also accelerate the start of new breeding programs by using pedigree reconstruction to identify genetically superior individuals from existing populations.
Our Laboratory
Pollen & Seed Lab
The Pollen and Seed Lab supports forest conservation and genetic improvement by collecting, processing, testing, and storing pollen and seeds, ensuring the long-term preservation of valuable tree species.
Vegetative Propagation
Improvement of Vegetative Multiplication rates of Pine seed and sterile propagation of mature pine genotypes
NIR
The Near-Infrared Reflectance (NIR) enhances forest research by using advanced spectroscopy to analyze wood properties, seed quality, and chemical composition, enabling efficient and non-destructive assessments for genetic improvement and conservation.
Forest Health
Insects and diseases (a.k.a. “pests”) are a major threat to forest productivity and sustainability globally, causing greater economic and ecological damage every year than most other sources of disturbance combined. At Camcore, we work closely with our members through outreach and engagement efforts and special research projects to develop integrated pest management strategies that contribute to stronger, more resilient forest systems.
Ralstonia Screening Protocol
As part of her M.S. thesis research at Camcore, Gina Zabala (Forest Pathologist, Smurfit Westrock Colombia) developed a new protocol that improves the efficiency of screening Eucalyptus genotypes for susceptibility to the bacterial wilt pathogen Ralstonia. We are in the early stages of developing a new project to test this protocol across the entire Camcore membership. Our work with Ralstonia has been in collaboration with Dr. Alejandra Huerta, a globally recognized expert on this group of pathogens who is on the faculty in the NC State University Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology.
Myrtle Rust Screening
Austropuccinia psidii continues to threaten health and productivity of Eucalyptus species in both their native environments in Australia and areas worldwide where they are established in commercial plantations. Working with our members, we have completed several species-level screening studies to better understand susceptibility to this disease among the various Eucalyptus species in our breeding program.
Silvicultural Management of Invasive Insects
Silviculture is the most effective tool in the forester’s toolbox for managing forest health, resiliency, and productivity. However, when it comes to invasive insects, we often overlook silviculture as a primary response strategy. Working with federal and university colleagues across the eastern United States, Camcore has taken the lead role in demonstrating the importance of silvicultural considerations and their integration with biological control, chemical insecticides, and breeding as part of invasive insect intervention.
