Anna Gunulf, Rebecka Mc Carthy, Jonas Rönnberg. (2012). Control efficacy of stump treatment and influence of stump height on natural spore infection by Heterobasidion spp. of precommercial thinning stumps of Norway spruce and birch. Silva Fennica vol. 46 no. 5 article id 917. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.917

Keywords: Picea abies; Betula spp.; precommercial thinning; stump treatment; Heterobasidion spp.; Phlebiopsis gigantea; stump height

Abstract | View details | Full text in PDF | Author Info

An alternative precommercial thinning technique results in trees being cut higher up the stem compared to the normal method using a brush saw. The aims of this study were to investigate if primary infection of Heterobasidion spp. on precommercial thinning stumps of Norway spruce and birch is influenced by stump height and to test the control efficacy of stump treatment with Phlebiopsis gigantea on precommercial thinning stumps of Norway spruce. Small Norway spruce and birch trees were felled on five sites in southern Sweden and their stumps subjected to natural spore infection. For each species, two treatments of stump height were created: 15 and 100 cm. Half of the Norway spruce stumps were treated with P. gigantea. After two months, 896 stumps were sampled and infection by Heterobasidion spp. was quantified. The height of stumps did not significantly influence infection frequency or size of infection on either tree species. Untreated Norway spruce stumps had an infection frequency of 55% while 31% of the treated stumps were infected. The control efficacy of stump treatment in terms of reduced relative infected area was 61–65%. The area occupied by Heterobasidion spp. on birch stumps was generally small, on average 0.4 cm2 per infected stump, although 15% of the stumps were infected. The risk of primary infection in Norway spruce dominated stands should be considered when precommercial thinning is conducted but the control efficacy and economy of stump treatment warrants further investigation before practical recommendations can be made.

Gunulf, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, P.O. Box 49, SE-230 53 Alnarp, Sweden E-mail: anna.gunulf@slu.se
Mc Carthy, Skogsforsk, Ekebo 2250, SE-268 90 Svalöv, Sweden E-mail: Rebecka.McCarthy@skogforsk.se
Rönnberg, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, P.O. Box 49, SE-230 53 Alnarp, Sweden E-mail: jonas.ronnberg@slu.se

Category : Research note

article id 1126, category Research note

Rebecka Mc Carthy, Per Magnus Ekö, Lars Rytter. (2014). Reliability of stump sprouting as a regeneration method for poplars: clonal behavior in survival, sprout straightness and growth. Silva Fennica vol. 48 no. 3 article id 1126. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.1126

Keywords: Populus spp.; coppice regeneration; vegetative regeneration; short-rotation forestry

Highlights: Clonal differences were found in stump sprout survival; Clonal differences occurred in sprout straightness; It is uncertain if the ability to produce a high number of stump sprouts is beneficial.

Abstract | Full text in HTML | Full text in PDF | Author Info

The interest in poplars (Populus spp.) has increased globally as a result of the current incentive to expand the use of biomass for energy. So far, knowledge about poplar stump sprouting is generally poor. The objective of this study was to investigate poplar stump sprouting as regeneration method in harvested plantations. A 19-year-old poplar clonal test, including 23 different clones, on former arable land was harvested in the winter. After one year, stumps were assessed for sprout survival, sprout straightness, number of sprouts, sprout height and basal diameter. Differences between clones were found for survival and sprout straightness. Clonal differences were also found in mean size of sprouts (basal diameter and height). However, no differences were found between clones when comparing size of the tallest sprout or number of sprouts produced on stumps. This study indicates that stump sprouts from various poplar clones differ in survival, sprout straightness and mean growth, which should be taken into account when planning for the next tree generation. The study needs to be complemented with other studies to better assess sprouting characteristics for different clones.

Mc Carthy, Forestry Research Institute of Sweden, Skogforsk, Ekebo 2250, SE-268 90 Svalöv, Sweden & Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 49, SE-230 53 Alnarp, Sweden E-mail: rebecka.mccarthy@skogforsk.se
Ekö, Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 49, SE-230 53 Alnarp, Sweden E-mail: Per.Magnus.Eko@slu.se
Rytter, Forestry Research Institute of Sweden, Skogforsk, Ekebo 2250, SE-268 90 Svalöv, Sweden E-mail: lars.rytter@skogforsk.se

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