The proposed project recognizes the economic interest that represents the second growth forests of the species Nothofagus alpina and N.obliqua, and it postulates to the implementation of a genetic improvement program that will give place to populations with significant superior timber yields.  This project will help to transform the species from native forests to an economic income production alternative that will contribute to the diversity of the forest products market.

It is proposed to initiate the improvement program of these two Nothofagus species developing two complementary  action lines:

1.- Provenance definition and seed producer areas

This action line will constitute the project’s beginning point.  At the moment of the provenance definition it will be also defined the seed sources and the genetic variability with the objective to evaluate the improvement program.  The seed producer areas by themselves will constitute in the short term in the first material source with some improvement level that will be destined to plantations, and it will also supply the genetic material to feed the improvement program.

As a complement to the creation of a seed producer areas network, the project will develop a commercialization strategy and an economic use of the improved seed, this it will constitute in a new commercial product to the market, that will have great negotiation expectations and it will be capable to satisfy the requirements of chilean forestry companies and international research centers.

A relevant aspect of the proposed plan will be the environmental characterization of the areas in which the project is been developed.  In this aspect, together with the relevant stand selection activities from the genetic and productive point of view, the project will concentrate a great part of its efforts in this action line.
 
 
 
 

Nothofagus alpina feminine flower

2.- Selection, genetic tests and improvement genetic strategy

In this second action line it is proposed to develop the basic structures for a improvement genetic program and define a medium and long term strategy.

During the project’s development it is postulated to perform superior trees selection, and it will be collected vegetative genetic material to establish clonal banks (ex-situ conservation) and first generation clonal seed orchards (seeds commercial use).  As the seeds became available, they will be collected from selected trees.  This seeds will be used to establish provenance and progeny tests.

The advance improvement strategy’s formulation is another of the project’s objectives, but not its implementation and development, because this will take periods a lot longer that it can be tolerate.

As final products, the project will generate the base for a Nothofagus genetic improvement program, which will be represented by seed producer areas, provenance definitions, selected superior trees, establishment of progeny and provenance tests (if the seed production permits it), and establishment of clonal banks and/or clonal seed orchards, a documented seed collection that will cover the species natural area distribution, definition of a medium and long term improvement strategy and the development of a commercialization use for the improved seed generated from the seed orchards and the seed producer areas.  Together, all this products in the future will make possible the development of plantations to an operative and commercial scales.  This plantations will be establish with adequate techniques, and they will use improved seed or seedlings and they will show a quality and a yield clearly superior to the one that can be obtained actually.
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