Spruce trees are the most widely used species in Canada’s forest plantations thus understanding its genomics is critical to improving tree growth and yield as well as wood properties, at the molecular level. Arborea II will create an inventory of the natural variability and expression of thousands of spruce genes. By identifying specific genes associated with growth and wood quality, the project will develop tools and protocols making it possible to select well adapted high-performance spruce trees with better-quality woods. This in turn will promote the competitiveness and productivity of the Canadian forest industry. The anticipated project results will help to shorten the time it takes to select and breed trees with desired traits, increasing the commercial value of spruce trees for saw logs and for pulpwood.