Douglas firs grown in Sweden being exported to Germany
For the first time ever, Svenska Skogsplantor (SSP) has grown Douglas firs with Conniflex treatment against pine weevil after being commissioned by the Niedersachsen State Forestry Service. Throughout March, 44,000 Douglas firs grown at SSP’s plant nursery in Kalmar were planted in Niedersachsen. This is the first time that SSP has delivered rooted planting material with Conniflex-treatment commercially to Germany.
“When Niedersächsische Landesforsten got in touch with us about weevil protection without chemical pesticides, we showed them the concept with rooted planting material grown in a greenhouse and treated with Conniflex” says Gustav Thoft, Head of Business Development at SSP.
As a first attempt, an order of Douglas firs was placed where German seeds were sown in Sweden in February 2018. The rooted plant system soon proved to be advantageous as the Douglas fir is sensitive to weather conditions during its first few months. Growing the plants in a greenhouse produced approximately 70 % more plants compared with traditional open-land cultivation.
The first delivery has now been planted, and Seed Manager for Niedersächsische Landesforsten, Klaus Gille, sees lots of advantages. The quality of the plants, the well-developed root systems, and the new Conniflex treatment have all impressed, among other benefits.
“We are very satisfied with the plants. The root development is good, and the plug is perfectly matched to the formation of the root mass. We expect there will be no root deformation with this type of plant,” says Klaus Gille.
After these initial positive experiences with the Douglas fir, cultivation volume will now double by 2020 and attempts will be made to do the same with larch.
“We are of course really looking forward to continuing our cooperation and following up on the spring’s plantings. The methods for weevil protection we offer in the form of Conniflex and Multipro are free from chemical pesticides and we believe they will perform well also in more southerly climes, outside Sweden,” says Gustav Thoft
Pictures enclosed. Please name photographer, Thomas Böhl, in byline when publishing.
About Conniflex and Multipro
Conniflex and Multipro are both pine weevil treatments that are free from chemical pesticides. Conniflex, was presented to the market in 2010. The product consists of a sand and water-based adhesive that functions as a kind of protective armour around the stem of the plant. Pine weevils can neither bite away the sand grains nor chew through them. It’s both effective and environmentally friendly at the same time. After treating more than 320 million plants, the treatment has proved to be very effective.
Multipro is a specially designed, environmentally friendly paper cardboard case that protects the plant against pine weevil during the first critical years. The case then gradually decomposes without hindering the plant’s growth. Multipro is used for bare-root plants.
For more information
Gustav Thoft, Head of Business Development, Svenska Skogsplantor, Phone: +46 (0)435 44 13 16, Email: Gustav.thoft@skogsplantor.se
Tom Jägestedt, Communications Manager, Svenska Skogsplantor, Phone: +46 10-544 97 30, Email: tom.jagestedt@skogsplantor.se
About Svenska Skogsplantor
Svenska Skogsplantor is one of the business areas within Sveaskog. Svenska Skogsplantor is the biggest and market-leading supplier of seeds, plants and regeneration services for Swedish forests. The company’s customers make up most of the Swedish forestry industry, as well as numerous owners of forests in Finland and Norway. Svenska Skogsplantor has a turnover of around 325 million Swedish Kronor. Read more at www.skogsplantor.se
About Sveaskog
Sveaskog is the leading forestry company in Sweden, selling timber, pulpwood, biofuel, forest plants and various forestry services. Sveaskog supplements its own range with products purchased from other forest owners, as well as exchanges and imports. In addition, we are also involved in land purchasing and we develop forests as spaces for fishing, hunting and other types of outdoor experiences. The forest and its resources make up our core business and sustainable development is central to everything we do. We have a turnover of 6.2 billion Swedish kronor and approximately 846 employees. We are owned by the Swedish state. www.sveaskog.se
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