105
and Tejera 2006). More recently, a trial established in 2005 in two plots at a first
quality site near to Lago Puelo (42° 1′50″ S; 71°33′12″ O; 380 m asl) had a 90%
survival 11 years later, with a mean height of 7.5 m ± 0.2 and 8.1 m ± 0.3, and a
mean DBH of 10.6 cm ± 0.4 and 7.0 ± 0.3 in both plots, respectively (Urretavizcaya
et al. 2018).
Likewise, early interest in planting South American Nothofagus species also
existed abroad. Similarly to raulí, roble pellín has been assayed in Great Britain
since the beginning of twentieth century (Mason et al. 2018), showing a sensitivity
to spring and autumn frosts and severe winter cold. This suggests that its plantation
should be confined to milder regions, often near the coast (Murray et al. 1986).
There are about 40 ha of roble pellín in the Public Forest Estate in Britain, nearly all
in England.
The technology for seedlings production in Argentina has been very well developed in the last decade (e.g. Azpilicueta et al. 2010). A ferti-irrigation protocol has
been adjusted for the South American Nothofagus, which are very responsive to
fertilization, making thus possible to get routinely 50-cm tall roble pellín seedlings
in 8 months under greenhouse conditions (Schinelli Casares 2013). On the other
hand, the regular provision of good quality seeds is a bottleneck for the industrial
production of roble pellín seedlings. Not only the proportion of filled seeds is quite
variable among populations (as mentioned above), but also seed production per tree
varies sharply from year to year (Donoso 1993; Donoso et al. 2006a; Pastorino et al.
2016, Fig. 4.6). This uncertainty in the availability and quality of seeds from natural
forests must be considered for the domestication of this species. In this regard, the
existence of a 16-year-old roble pellín plantation producing seeds abundantly with
a 60% proportion of filled seeds (Pastorino et al. 2016) encourages the establishment of seed orchards.
Fig. 4.6 Variation of seed
production among years
and among populations in
natural forests, measured
in thousands of seeds/m
2
under-canopy nets (from
Pastorino et al. 2016)
4 Roble pellín (Nothofagus obliqua): A Southern Beech with a Restricted…
and Tejera 2006). More recently, a trial established in 2005 in two plots at a first
quality site near to Lago Puelo (42° 1′50″ S; 71°33′12″ O; 380 m asl) had a 90%
survival 11 years later, with a mean height of 7.5 m ± 0.2 and 8.1 m ± 0.3, and a
mean DBH of 10.6 cm ± 0.4 and 7.0 ± 0.3 in both plots, respectively (Urretavizcaya
et al. 2018).
Likewise, early interest in planting South American Nothofagus species also
existed abroad. Similarly to raulí, roble pellín has been assayed in Great Britain
since the beginning of twentieth century (Mason et al. 2018), showing a sensitivity
to spring and autumn frosts and severe winter cold. This suggests that its plantation
should be confined to milder regions, often near the coast (Murray et al. 1986).
There are about 40 ha of roble pellín in the Public Forest Estate in Britain, nearly all
in England.
The technology for seedlings production in Argentina has been very well developed in the last decade (e.g. Azpilicueta et al. 2010). A ferti-irrigation protocol has
been adjusted for the South American Nothofagus, which are very responsive to
fertilization, making thus possible to get routinely 50-cm tall roble pellín seedlings
in 8 months under greenhouse conditions (Schinelli Casares 2013). On the other
hand, the regular provision of good quality seeds is a bottleneck for the industrial
production of roble pellín seedlings. Not only the proportion of filled seeds is quite
variable among populations (as mentioned above), but also seed production per tree
varies sharply from year to year (Donoso 1993; Donoso et al. 2006a; Pastorino et al.
2016, Fig. 4.6). This uncertainty in the availability and quality of seeds from natural
forests must be considered for the domestication of this species. In this regard, the
existence of a 16-year-old roble pellín plantation producing seeds abundantly with
a 60% proportion of filled seeds (Pastorino et al. 2016) encourages the establishment of seed orchards.
Fig. 4.6 Variation of seed
production among years
and among populations in
natural forests, measured
in thousands of seeds/m
2
under-canopy nets (from
Pastorino et al. 2016)
4 Roble pellín (Nothofagus obliqua): A Southern Beech with a Restricted…