Generative and vegetative reproduction of Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco in the Central Chernozem Region

Abstract

The demand for wood products grows every year. There is an urgent need of fast-growing and economically valuable tree species. One of such species undoubtedly is Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco, the fastest growing coniferous species with valuable wood. It was introduced in Russia a century ago but there is still virtually no research proving its efficiency and suitability for the Central Chernozem Region of Russia. Moreover, mass reproduction of Pseudotsuga menziesii in Russia has been held back by lack of parent trees and effective scientifically-based cultivation techniques. In this study we analyze the effectiveness of both generative and vegetative reproduction of the species in the studied region. Our findings show that the germination capacity of Pseudotsuga menziesii seeds ranges from 63 to 95% depending on the age of parent trees and growing conditions. Cold stratification is proved to be the optimal method of pre-sowing seed treatment for the species. Grafting can be used to introduce rare and decorative subvarieties of the genus. And on the whole, Pseudotsuga menziesii can be considered promising for forestry practice and green building of the region.