2019

LVM Nurseries are Busy Sowing Forest Seedlings

While winter is still reluctant to leave us, spring works have started in the largest nurseries of JSC “Latvia's State Forests” (LVM). The state-of-the-art LVM Mazsili, Podiņi and Strenči nurseries started sowing forest seedlings already at the beginning of March.

“These works can be started in such a timely manner because the nurseries are equipped with greenhouses provided with heating. In order to use the greenhouses as efficiently as possible, sowing is planned in three rounds. Sowing with a precision seeding machine is done in special design cassettes filled with a specially prepared substrate,” says Guntis Grandāns, Director of “LVM Sēklas un stādi” (LVM Seeds and Plants).

The total amount of sowing in LVM Mazsili Nursery is expected to be 30 million sown cells, in LVM Strenči Nursery - 24 million and in LVM Podiņi nursery - 18 million sown cells. In one of Mazsils' 25x100-metre-large greenhouse, about 2 million sown cells are placed. Spruce seedlings with an improved root system are the first to be sown.

Later, when the sowing sprouts and starts growing, cassettes with the new seedlings will be moved to special outdoor landfills, but the greenhouse will be filled again with sowing of the next round.

“High-quality seeds with a high genetic potential, which are obtained in special seed production plantations are used for sowing. Using such seeds, it is possible to increase forest productivity by up to 20%,” explains Guntis Grandāns.

In 2018, 52.3 million seedlings were sold in the LVM Sēklas un stādi nurseries. Of these, 27.4 million were container seedlings, 21.8 million - seedlings with an improved root system and only 3.1 million were traditional seedlings. It is planned to sell a total of 52 million seedlings in 2019.