Seed Production for Forests

in the USSR, the various steps taken in forestry to obtain the necessary quantity of tree and shrub seeds with high sowing and hereditary qualities to be used in forests.

Seed production for forests includes the regionalization of the procurement and shipment of forest seeds, establishment of permanent and temporary seed-growing plots, and creation of specialized seed fields from seed and vegetative offspring. Seed plots are established mostly in natural forest plantations that are highly productive and healthy and have desirable forestry properties. Temporary seed plots are established in coniferous plantations set aside for continuous cutting; the cones from the felled trees are gathered and stored up. Seed offspring of plus (the best) trees selected according to the phenotype from among the most productive and healthy trees with well-shaped trunks and crowns are used to create specialized seed fields. Seeds or seedlings of several families (at least ten), the offspring of plus trees, are planted on each field. Specialized seed fields are also started with planting material obtained by vegetative propagation of plus trees. Cuttings taken from the crowns of plus trees are grafted onto young, low-growing stock. Each field should have 20–25 clones (vegetative offspring) of different plus trees. Forestry farms, forestry sections, and specialized forest seed farms gather and store the seeds of forest trees.