Call for Action for a Healthier Planet. Introducing Agroforestry

Agroforestry is a key element amongst the tools fighting today’s challenges, such as environmental issues, climate change, food safety and food security. It is a common agricultural practice in many countries of the developing world, whereas it has nearly faded away in most of the world’s developed countries. In the past 40 years of agroforestry research it has been clarified that the role of trees in the landscape as well as in the farm scale is essential to maintain a healthy environment and it can be an economically viable practice in the long term, given careful planning. These complex agricultural systems address several Sustainable Development Goals, offer countless ecosystem services and are expected to get more attention and role in the future of world’s agriculture. In the European Union, the Common Agricultural Policy firstly had played a negative effect on trees in the land, as it had encouraged farmers to eliminate them in order to qualify for subsidies, until in the last call it was encouraging farmers by subsidizing the establishment of agroforestry systems. Today’s task is to reserve agroforestry systems which have remained (e.g., wood pastures, shelterbelts); conduct research to answer ecological, economical and management questions; establish demonstartion sites and disseminate knowledge on agroforestry systems. The Monpellier Declaration calls all stakeholders for action

Target Diameter Models for Leuce Poplar Stands Growing on Sandy Soils

The fact that certain ecological factors fundamentally influencing tree growth have become unfavourable in Hungary in recent years, has led to the more extensive use of white poplar (and its hybrids) in afforestation and forest regeneration. An intensive integrated research and development work has been carried out on the growth of Leuce poplars on sandy soils, including primarily the white poplar (Populus alba) and its natural hybrid the grey poplar (Populus x canescens). The research revealed several factors influencing stand growth. The study presents a new, simplified tending operation model for Leuce poplar stands, as well as age, growing space and target diameter models suitable for qualitaty log production and for mass assortments. The simplicity of these practice-oriented models may foster the qualitative development of Leuce poplar management in Hungary

Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) Short-Rotation Crops under Marginal Site Conditions

The improvement of the reliability of renewable res ources and the decline in reserves of fossile raw material in the coming decades will lea d to increasing demands for wood material and consequently to a greater role of short rotation fo restry (SRF). Particular efforts have been made in Europe to substitute fossils with renewables, in th is context the proportion of renewable energy shoul d be increased to 20% by 2020. SRF can be provide rel atively high dendromass (biomass) increment rates if the short rotation tree plantations are gr own under favourable site conditions and for an optimum rotation length. However, in many countries only so-called marginal sites are available for setting up tree plantations for energy purpose. For SRF under marginal site conditions black locust ( Robinia pseudoacacia L.) can be considered as one of the most promising tree species thanks to its favourable growing characteristics. According to a case study presented in the paper black locust can produce a Mean Annual Increment (MAI) of 2.9 to 9.7 oven-dry tons ha –1 yr –1 at ages between 3 and 7 years using a stocking density of 6667 stems ha –1 . On the base of the presented results and accordin g to international literature the expected dendromass volume shows great variation, depending upon site, species, their cultivars, initial spacing and lengt h of rotation cycle

Micropropagation of Leuce-poplars and evaluation of their development under sandy site conditions in Hungary

AbstractLeuce-poplars are a native stand-forming tree species throughout Hungary. Several species or selections of them are used as ornamental plants in parks or to line streets and highways. They cover approximately 4.0 per cent of the total forested area in Hungary (70000 ha). The white (grey) poplar belongs to the Leuce poplars and plays a significant role in sand fixation, regional forestation, and nature conservation. The National Agricultural Research and Innovation Centre, Forest Research Institute or NARIC-FRI (formerly known as the Forest Research Institute) is involved in long-term breeding work for the selection of fast-growing white poplar trees under dry conditions. In vitro multiplication of trees is applied mainly to fruit growing trees in Hungary; in forestry research it is used primarily for selective breeding. This paper presents a short overview of the most important issues concerning the biotechnology of different Populus species, the related research on micropropagation trials, and the results of field investigations of micropropagated Leuce-poplar clone experiments.</jats:p

Ecology and Management of Black Walnut (Juglans nigra L.) in Hungary

Background and Purpose: Black walnut (Juglans nigra L.) was one of the first forest tree species introduced and acclimated from North America to Europe in the 17th century. Although native to North America, black walnut is now naturalized and widely planted throughout Europe. In Hungary, this species has played an important role in forest management. Black walnut can grow on various sites, but careful site selection and well-planned management practices are needed to produce successful plantations. Due to the increasing interest in black walnut growing in many countries this study complied with the aim of giving a summary on the base of research and improvement connected with the species over the past decades. Materials and Methods: Black walnut produces a well-closing, favourably differentiated stand structure in consequence of the great genetic diversity of single trees. It utilizes well the leaks of the tending cuttings. In this manner, because of its quick height growth, the systematic, individual selective method can be favourably combined with more frequent stem number reduction. The objective of tending should be to produce a high proportion of good quality saw logs from stands of yield class I, II, III and IV, and some other smaller-dimension industrial wood from stands of yield class V and VI. Conclusions: In Hungary, black walnut is one of the most valuable exotic tree species, mainly because of its wood excessively used in furniture industry. Black walnut is used in furniture industry both as solid wood and veneer. This species is among the most expensive furniture woods in the world due to its appealing surface figure and colour. Its wood is also used for making musical instruments, turned and carved ornaments, statues and marquetry. Black walnut stands are to be important in carbon sequestration, soil stabilization, and water quality protection as well

Juvenile Growth and Morphological Traits of Micropropagated Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) Clones under Arid Site Conditions.

Abstract - In Hungary black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) is considered as an important exotic stand-forming tree species growing mostly under unfavourable ecological conditions for forest management. Due to climate change effects its importance is increasing in many other countries, too. As a result of a selection programme new black locust clones were tested in clone trials. Juvenile growth and the morphological as well as phenological traits of four micropropagated black locust clones were evaluated in central Hungary under dry site conditions. Significant differences (P&lt;5%) were found for DBH and field survival rate values. At age of 7 the clone R.p. ‘Bácska’ (’KH 56A 2/5’) appears to be especially promising for mass propagation. Tissue culture can be considered as a suitable tool for propagating superior individuals and offers new prospects for the rapid cloning of selected genotypes used for plantation forestry.</jats:p

Promising Leuce poplar clones in sandy ridges between the rivers Danube and Tisza in Hungary: a case study

An intensive integrated research and development work has been carried out on the improvement of Leuce poplars including primarily the native white poplar (Populus alba L.) and its natural hybrid grey poplar (Populus × canescens). More than 70 percent of the Leuce poplar stands can be found on calcareous sandy sites in the Danube–Tisza region, so they play a significant role in the poplar management of this part of the country. The most important task ahead of Hungarian poplar growers is to improve the quality of poplar stands and plantations based on selecting new clones and cultivars. The growth and yield of four promising Leuce poplar clones was evaluated on a marginal site in central Hungary. The clones ‘H 425-4’ (Populus alba L. × Populus alba L.), and ‘H 758’ (Populus alba L. Mosonmagyaróvár 124) seem to be suitable for wood production, while the ‘H 427-3’ (Populus alba L. × Populus alba L. cv. Bolleana) and ‘H 422-9’ (Populus alba L. × Populus grandidentata (Michx)) clones (with decorative stem form) could be better used for tree lines and ornamental plantations