The Use of New Technologies in Plant Growing by Latvian State Forests and its Seed and Tree Plantations

From the moment of its establishment in 2000, the stock company “Latvian State Forests” has worked hard to ensure that reproductive materials which are used for forest restoration in Latvia are of the highest possible quality.  In 2001, the agency began to introduce state-of-the-art technologies in the production of such materials, including the processing and storage of pine cones and forest seeds, and in the growing of plants in tree plantations.  Achievements in the field of plant selection in Latvia could be merged with the world’s most progressive seed extraction technologies.  No less than 98% of the seeds which are harvested in this way end up sprouting.  In some cases the sprouting level is 100%.

Cones are processed at the Kalsnava cone drying facility, where high-quality equipment comes from a Swedish company, “BCC AB”.

Two new technologies have been used lately in the production of plant materials for the forest:

1. Container plants, which begin with the filling up, seeding and mulching of containers.  This is a fully automated and modern process.  The containers are placed in modern hothouses with double polythene cover, and special watering and temperature regulation regimes are implemented.  Once the seeds have sprouted, special equipment is used to bring it out of the hothouses.  Outdoors, special moisture, fertilisation and plant protection regimes are observed until the plants are sufficiently mature to be sold.  The regimes for watering, fertilisation and plant protection are based on watering systems that are specialised and can be transported along rails. 

Environmental protection is a concern throughout the process.  Mineral fertilisers and plant protection substances are used only on one part of each plant, and they end up in the substratum of the soil.  The peat substratum from the swamp ends up in the forest along with the plant, i.e. – back in the environment.

2.  Bare-root processes with improved root systems.  The beginning of the process is similar as that when container plants are used, but after the plants sprout in the hothouse, they are replanted under open skies in the summer and autumn of the same year.  This involves special machinery from Finland, which ensures that the plants stand straight when they are planted.  The result is plants with a widely developed system of roots.  Fir trees which are grown on the basis of these technologies are used in those places where large plants are needed. 

Both technologies ensure the highest quality of plants for the artificial restoration of the forest and for the foresting of territories that are not being used for agriculture.