2007

LATVIA HAS LAUNCHED A NEW EXPORT PRODUCT

On April 13, Kalsnava Plantation has sold the first 17,000 hybrid aspen plants to Lithuania.

Hybrid aspen is a tree that is highly fast-growing and is ready for felling after a 25-30 year period.

For growing this fast-growing species in Europe a species of a common aspen tree Populus tremulae was crossed with the American species of aspen tree Populus tremuloides with the help of artificial pollination by obtaining an inter-species hybrid with excellent qualities for fast-growing. Hybrid aspen trees are traditionally being cultivated for production of cellulose; however, it can be also used for saw timber due to its high quality wood material. In periods of unfavourable market condition or due to other considerations plantations can be clean-cut 10-20 years later as older stands are as good as the new ones, they are not damaged by rotting, the trunks correspond to the requirements of good quality saw logs.

The only place in Latvia where it is possible to buy the plants of this cultivated species is at the Kalsnava Plantation of AS Latvijas Valsts Meži where they are grown from cultivated seedlings.