Researchers at a lab on the Dalhousie Agricultural Campus in Truro, N.S., are working to improve the already booming Christmas tree business.
The industry in Nova Scotia is worth $30 million a year and nearly 2 million trees are harvested annually. However, there is one thing producers have been trying to shake for years.
“You might have a wonderful good looking tree, but the moment you take it home, you might see that needle shed occurs. Next year, they won't come and buy your real trees,” says tree physiologist Raj Lada.
The researchers are looking for a better solution to assist in needle retention. In addition, they're also working at the genetic level, examining the complex process of what happens to balsam fir, from the moment it's cut down, to when it ends up in your living room.
“As of now, combining all those things, integrating all those things, can lead us to keep a tree for up to about four months,” says Lada.
Members of the research team are excited to be part of the process that will make a better Christmas tree.
“I grew up on a Christmas tree farm. I had Christmas trees all my life. We've always had a real tree in the house and this is a real treat for me to be able to come back and actually work with trees, what I did when I was younger,” says research assistant Jane Blackburn.
Much of the funding for the research comes from industry, as producers look for ways to improve export markets and local sales too.
“We don't want a tree that has lost its freshness. We want a tree to be fresh and fragrant and as well as a living tree for a long period of time,” says Lada. “So these solutions, in combination with the genetics, will provide solutions for the future.”
Lada expects it will take about another two years to crack the smart tree code. He predicts they could end up in Maritime households for Christmas, about five years after that.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Dan MacIntosh
