Nova Scotia has taken on one of the most aggravating issues facing consumers: why do Christmas trees lose their needles?

The government has allocated $250,000 to the provincial Christmas Tree Council to get to the root of the prickly problem. It's part of the government's push to make the trees "the best they can be."

"Needle retention is a concern for Nova Scotia producers," said council president Wayne Priest. "This funding will let us continue toward solutions for needle loss that will give us an edge in this ever-changing market."

The problem has dropped into the lap of plant physiology professor Rajasekaran R. Lada at the Nova Scotia Agriculture College.

The issue, even for the experts, is perplexing, he said. Why needles drop is a good question, "but there aren't any answers yet and that is the purpose of our study."

He's going to look at all kinds of questions about the needle problem, including what triggers it, what happens within the needles as they get ready to drop, and do pre-harvest conditions affect post-harvest needle drop? And those are just the basic questions, without getting into the scientific terminology.

"We have more questions than answers at this point," he said, but the target is clear: "To develop Smart Christmas trees with extended needle retention, fragrance, blue-green colour, ideal architecture, resistance to abiotic stresses, pests and diseases, and develop technologies to overcome the problems associated with needle drop."

Millions of consumers are rooting for you, Dr. Lada.