News
02 • 04 • 2024
The Sowing Season has Started in LVM Tree Nurseries
Since the beginning of March, the spring planting of forest tree seedlings has been actively taking place in the tree nurseries of JSC “Latvia's State Forests” (LVM). In March, LVM Sēklas und stādi also sold the first 4.2 million forest seedlings: 3.1 million seedlings for the restoration of state and private forests, in turn, 1.1 million forest tree seedlings were exported. While developing LVM nurseries, it is planned to introduce several innovations in production this year.
LVM tree nurseries with seasonally heated greenhouses were the first to start work already at the end of winter: Mazsili, Strenči, Podiņi, and Mežvidi. Active work is currently underway in all ten LVM tree nurseries. By the end of March, 13.5 million pine container seedlings and 7.5 million spruce seedlings with an improved root system have been sown for growing new seedlings, out of a total of 92.4 million planned this year. Pine trees have already sprouted in the first greenhouses.
“This year, the weather was favourable for spring work to start on schedule – the sun warmed the air sufficiently during the day, but it cooled down a little at night, so the fields were dry, and the tractor equipment could also start the fieldwork. Currently, seedlings are sold mainly from freezers, but in the Kurzeme region, where the beginning of spring was warmer, also from the field. In general, this year we plan to sell at least 53.3 million seedlings grown in LVM nurseries,” says Laima Zvejniece, Executive Director for Production at LVM Sēklas und stādi.
New equipment to be installed
An important support in the production process is the construction of the new seedling sorting and storage complex completed at the end of last year in the new Mežvidi tree nursery. Currently, there is already a cassette filling and sowing line operating there, the sowing volume of which is planned to be 17 million sowing places this year. An automatic plant packing line and a cassette washing line will also be manufactured and installed during this year.
Several improvements for the production process development are also planned in other LVM tree nurseries. To protect the young seedlings from frost, it is planned to install an anti-frost inversion fan in the Mazsili nursery this year, which will reduce the risk of damage to the seedlings. It is also planned to install a Conniflex processing line in Strenči nursery by the end of this year, which will allow to increase the volume of conifer seedlings treated against damage by the pine weevil with environmentally friendly and alternative methods. Conniflex processing lines will be used in two LVM tree nurseries this year – in Mazsili and Strenči.
In the photo: a test with wood fibre admixture for peat substrate for growing seedlings
Innovations in growing seedlings – the creation of a new substrate
In search of new sustainable solutions in the cultivation of seedlings, in 2024 trials will be conducted in production with peat substrates and mulching materials – in Strenči nursery, the addition of wood fibre to the peat substrate will be tested to evaluate both positive and negative aspects. The tested mulching material will be made of several types of wood processing products – specially prepared coniferous sawdust fractions.
This year, the increase in the scope of birch cultivation will continue, including the development of birch cultivation also in a laboratory or in vitro environment at Kalsnava nursery.
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