Bagging and Tagging Cones

All of the effort required for an excellent collection is lost if the identity of the cones is lost. It is critical to bag and tag all the cones at the tree when they are collected. Failure to tag the bags of cones or the inability to determine where the collection occurred is reason to reject those bags.

Bagging

Bags must be free of all contamination, including mold and contaminants such as oil and gasoline. Air must be able to move through the bag to sustain the living tissues of the seed. Burlap bags are commonly used. Other materials are acceptable so long as the material’s weave allows air to move but does not allow seeds to fall out. Fill bags no more than half full and tie them near the top. Place no more than 1 bushel (about 8 gallons or 0.8 cubic feet) of cones in a 2-bushel bag. The extra space allows the cones to expand as they dry and the cone scales flare. Burlap bags may allow seeds to slip through the material. Bags with a tighter weave may be needed for such materials.

The 40- by 26.5-inch (2-bushel) bags in the General Services Administration catalog are suitable for most conifer species.

Only clean cones should be in the bags. The bags themselves must be free of materials such as sticks, needles, and dirt, even though the initial collection may include such materials. The cones must be cleaned, the bad cones must be removed, and the clean cones must be bagged properly. Cone cleaning tables may be used for this chore. These tables have a wire mesh top that allows small debris to fall through the mesh as the person cleaning the cones picks out the larger debris. <picture of table> Smaller collections can be cleaned on a tarp, which helps to ensure that the cones do not contact the ground. Place the test cones that were used to ensure cone quality inside on the top of bags.

Labeling Cone Bags

Each bag must be properly labeled at the collection site to ensure that the seed lot’s integrity can be maintained throughout seed processing and storage. The following information is particularly important:

• Species and variety
• Geographic location
• Elevation and date of collection
• Number of bags in collection
• Seed/breeding zone
• Tree or stand number, if appropriate

Local tags may vary, but the basic information should be similar to that above. The tag used in Regions 1, 2, 3, and 4 provides an example. Refer to the direction and instructions for your locality. Tags must be waterproof and the label must be filled out clearly with permanent ink. Include an identical tag inside the bag to make sure that the information won’t be lost, even if the exterior tag gets ripped off. The tags are kept with the collection from the time the cones are collected until they are processed.

Along with the tag, create a record of the collection that documents additional information. This record will vary locally, but should include information such as:

• Species
• Year of collection
• Lot number or unique ID for collection
• Highest and lowest elevations where seed was collected
• Seed zone
• Habitat type
• Number of trees and number of stands where the collection occurred
• Program level (Tree Seed Zones, Seed-Protection Areas, and so forth)
• Funding
• Geographic location
• Collectors’ names
• Number of bags or containers in the collection (seed lot)
• Date shipped
• Storage method
• Local contact person
• Comments on seed quality
• Percent filled seed

Follow forest or regional guidance and use the proper forms for this record. <insert sample cone collection record> Provide this record to the nursery or seed processing facility when you take the cones in for seed extraction. Keep a copy of the record at the district. Keep a map identifying each tree (or stand) included in the collection as part of your permanent record. If a Seed-Collection Stand or Seed-Production Area was used, it may be useful to keep a copy in the appropriate folder.