Production in Forest Nurseries and Field Performance of Seedlings

Dear Colleagues,

The success of the various reforestation programs (production, protection, recreation, agroforestry, combating desertification, etc.) is a major challenge which requires optimization and control of the various steps in the production chain of seedlings of high morphophysiological quality, from seed or cutting or emblings to planting. The establishment, survival, and growth of seedlings in reforestation sites are closely linked to the different cultural practices in nurseries and silvicultural techniques in reforestation sites. In the context of climate change, seedlings and plantations are subject to different environmental stresses and some very severe climatic extremes that negatively affect their survival and growth.

Thus, the morphophysiological quality of seedlings is one of the essential components that directly affects the success of reforestation programs. The production of quality seedlings or emblings in forest nurseries and the success of plantations are strongly linked to the selection of genetic sources (provenance, families, clones) adapted to the plantation sites, to the different cultural practices applied in the nursery, to the handling, transportation, and storage of seedlings or emblings before planting them on a reforestation site, site preparation, and silvicultural techniques.

This Special Issue will integrate original research, practical strategies, and reviews related to but not limited to the following potential topics:

(a) Genetic material and seed quality, growth and physiology of seedlings produced by somatic embryogenesis, cutting, seeds, and other propagation techniques;

(b) Production in forest nurseries and effects of different practical techniques on the morphophysiological quality of seedlings or emblings: containers, and seedling size, physicochemical properties of different growing media, management of water and fertilizers, mineral nutrient leaching, water stress preconditioning, ecophysiology of seedlings or stecklings, frost and water stress tolerance, short-day treatment, hardening and dehardening; seedling or embling storage; mycorrhizal fungi and other symbioses, etc.;

(c) Field performance of seedlings or emblings under different site conditions, handling and transportation, assignment of the genetic characteristics of seedlings to the conditions of the planting site and the current and future climate, assisted migration, competing vegetation, site preparation techniques and silvicultural treatments, growth and physiology of seedlings or emblings in response to different environmental stress conditions (drought, salinity, heavy metal, frost, etc.).

Dr. Mohammed S. Lamhamedi
Prof. Dr. Damase P. Khasa
Prof. Dr. Steeve Pepin
Guest Editors

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