SCA has developed a new, smaller plant called the midi plant. The size of the plant implies that cultivating, transport and sowing will be less expensive. The midi plant will now be tested in a major field experiment.
Jörgen Andersson, Head of NorrPlant, shows the new midi plant. A large-scale field experiment is now being conducted with spruce, Swedish pine and contorta.
The idea of the new plant is to have more plants per square meter of cultivation area, without affecting the quality. When SCA NorrPlant cultivates “normal-size” plants, known as Jack-Pot plants, one box can hold 67 plants. The same size of box can hold 128 midi plants.
“This means that cultivation and delivery will be cheaper. We can fit twice as many plants in each truck and the growers will receive twice as many plants in the fields,” says Jörgen Andersson, Head of SCA NorrPlant.
Another major advantage is that there will be room for more plants in nurseries’ greenhouses and outdoor cultivations.
“If we switched over completely to midi plants, we would increase our production capacity by 90 percent,” says Jörgen Andersson.
One million plants
But, there is still a way to go. Firstly, a major field experiment must be conducted to see whether the quality of the midi plants is as high as the Jack-Pot plants.
“Between August and September, half a million midi plants are being planted and in the spring we will be planting just as many,” says Jörgen Andersson.
The plants will be planted throughout the entire SCA’s operating areas, from Sundsvall and northwards, and on all types of land. Jack-Pot plants will also be planted on all planting surfaces as reference material.
“We will also study survival, growth and insect damage,” says Jörgen Andersson.
Smaller field experiments have already been conducted. Approximately 10,000 midi plants have been growing for the past three years on SCA’s land and the results are promising.
“The experiments we have conducted to date show a survival rate that is as high as our Jack-Pot plants and growth is also very satisfactory,” says Jörgen Andersson.
The box for the new midi plants fits nearly twice as many plants as a box for the Jack-Pot plants; 128 plants instead of 67.
Excellent root system
The reason for the favorable results is that the inside of the pots are painted in a copper color, as are the pots used for the Jack-Pot plants.
“This encourages the development of an excellent root system, which is crucial to the development of the tree,” says Leif Gulin, Biologist at NorrPlant.
The copper color stops the roots from growing when they come into contact with the walls of the pot and when placed in the ground, they resume growing. Since the roots are not forced to bend against the pot walls, they are not deformed, instead they grow straight, quite similar to the roots in natural regeneration plants.
“This means that the plants are able to absorb nutrition better, they become more stable and grow better,” says Leif Gulin.
It is also an advantage that the pots are as deep as those used for the Jack-Pot plants.
“This means that when the plants are put in the ground, the roots come into contact with the mineral soil without the land needing special adaptation.”
Major interest
There is already major interest in the midi plants. Many people have contacted us with inquiries about plant deliveries and prices.
“If the experiment is successful, we will begin to increase sowing of midi plants in 2010, for delivery during 2011. The plants will be cheaper than the Jack-Pot plants, but the exact figures are not yet available,” concludes Jörgen Andersson.
Text: Kerstin Olofsson
Photo: Per-Anders Sjöquist