In mid-May 2024, a pilot plantation of fast-growing poplar clones (40 different clones planted in total) was established at the NRC Field Research Station (Vilnius) in collaboration with scientists from the Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) at the University of Minnesota and specialists from UAB “Euromediena”. The plantation is testing 32 American (NRRI selected) clones of high-yielding poplar hybrids (Populus deltoides × P. maximow iczii; P. deltoides × P. nigra; P. deltoides × (P. trichocarpa × P. deltoides)), as well as 8 Swedish-bred clones of P. trichocarpa and hybrid clones of P. maximow ichii × P. trichocarp.
The plantation was established randomly in square ‘blocks’, each with 9 poplars of the same clone (3 x 3 plants per ‘block’; row to row spacing 4.0 m). The poplars were planted in three replications of clonal (‘block’) sets in order to control the effect of slightly varying soil conditions on tree growth performance. A total of 1080 poplars were planted on an area of approximately 2 ha; the plantation is surrounded by a single row of untested clones of poplars of the same origin, forming a buffer zone to reduce the adverse effects of environmental conditions.
This plantation is a unique, carefully introduced and responsibly managed object which is open to research by NRC scientists. Under a contract with the University of Minnesota, the poplar plantation will be used for annual monitoring of tree growth (biometric measurements, viability, phytosanitary assessment) and for a wide range of studies – from plant physiology to the overall health of the newly formed ecosystem. All are welcome to take advantage of this new opportunity!
For more information about the plantation and its research prospects please contact Dr Vaidotas Lygis (NRC Laboratory of Plant Pathology), e-mail: vaidotas.lygis@gamtc.lt .
