2017

Seedling Exports Keep Growing

The top-quality forest seedlings cultivated in JSC "Latvia's State Forests" (LVM) nurseries are highly valued both in Latvia and abroad. Last year, LVM business direction “LVM Sēklas un stādi” (LVM Seeds and Plants) managed to increase the volumes of seedlings exported to the Scandinavian countries by almost a million seedlings.

In 2016, “LVM Sēklas un stādi” sold 47.2 million top-quality forest seedlings, of which 23.7 million have been planted in state forests, 10.7 million - in private forests, and 12.8 million seedlings have been exported to neighbouring countries.

"In breakdown by tree species, spruce seedlings were sold in largest quantities - 24.5 million, followed by pine - 19.7 million, birch seedlings - 2.9 million and some other deciduous species - alder, hybrid aspen, oak," says Laima Zvejniece, Deputy Director "LVM Sēklas un stādi". The situation is similar in exports, where spruce is the dominant species. However, in recent years also pine seedlings are exported to Sweden and Estonia, and hybrid aspen to Lithuania. The majority of seedlings for foreign markets come from the modern LVM nurseries in Podiņi and Strenči.

Yet, at the end of the last year when air temperature remained above 0 degrees, "LVM Sēklas un stādi" nurseries were busy harvesting seedlings from the field and preparing them for winter sleep. 19.2 million seedlings were hibernated, and very soon they will be ready to be delivered to customers and planted in the ground.

"Forest seedlings in LVM nurseries are vitally strong and each species is grown in the most suitable growing conditions for the forest. Using freezers, seedlings may be used already in early spring, keeping a certain amount of seedlings stored in a cool place, thus prolonging the planting season,"says Laima Zvejniece.

"LVM Sēklas un stādi" manages forest seed plantations in an area of 698 ha, where, thanks to the scientific breeding research carried out by Latvian State Forest Research Institute "Silava", genetically high-quality seeds can be harvested. The cultivated seedlings allow increasing productivity of forest stands by about 20%, as compared to seedlings that are grown from seeds harvested in forest stands, as well as reduce the life cycle of a forest stand by 10%.

“To protect young trees from possible insect damage in the forest, part of the seedlings are treated with alternative, ecological plant protection methods, such as eco-wax.  Responding to the demand for environmentally friendly protective substances to be used for tree protection against pine weevil, 5.8 million of the sold seedlings have been treated with wax," says Deputy Director "LVM Sēklas un stādi".