Modernization of the Forest Nurseries in Suceava: An Important Step in Ensuring Quality Forest Material

Investments of over 11 million lei for the re-technologization and efficiency improvement of forest seedling production at Salcea Nursery and Prisaca Dornei Nursery

The forests of Suceava cover nearly half of the county’s area, extending over 449,980 hectares, which represents approximately 7% of Romania’s forested area.

Of this total, 338,889 hectares (representing 75%) are managed by Suceava Forest Directorate, while the remainder is administered by other authorized forestry structures. The area managed by the Suceava Forest Directorate is distributed as follows: 64% is located in the mountainous region, 30% in the hilly area, and 6% in the plain region.

In the context of an increasing demand for forest seedlings for reforestation and the need to reduce production costs, the Suceava Forest Directorate has initiated an extensive modernization and re-technologization process for two forest nurseries, Salcea and Prisaca Dornei. These investments, made through funds from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), aim to increase production capacity, mechanize processes, and ensure a higher quality of reproductive forest material.

Every year, the Suceava Forest Directorate afforest an average area of 2,000 hectares, of which more than half is achieved through assistance in natural regeneration works, while the rest is through plantings.

“On average, 5 million seedlings are planted each year, originating from the forest nurseries managed by the Suceava Forest Directorate.”

Each year, an average of 5 million seedlings are planted, which come from the forest nurseries managed by the Suceava Forest Directorate. There has always been interest in modernizing and increasing mechanization in the production of forest seedlings, but in recent years, due to a significant shortage of skilled labor in this field, the interest in modernizing and re-technologizing forest nurseries has intensified. With the implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, the opportunity has arisen for the development and re-technologization of two forest nurseries, namely Salcea Forest Nursery and Prisaca Dornei Forest Nursery.

The investment is necessary and timely to reduce the final cost of forest seedling production through mechanization and efficiency improvement of certain production stages, such as land preparation, mechanized application of amendments, and automated watering. Additionally, the investment aims to increase and modernize production capacity, considering the growing demand for forest seedlings. Another essential objective is to ensure certified source reproductive forest material and the mechanized processing of forest seeds.

These large-scale investments will be made possible through accessing funds from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, allocated for the “Forests and Biodiversity Protection” component – the investment “Development of Modern Production Capacity for Reproductive Forest Material.”

The financing contracts for the two nurseries, Salcea Forest Nursery and Prisaca Dornei Forest Nursery, were signed in February 2024, with a combined value of 11,048,984.78 lei, excluding VAT. The financing from PNRR structural funds is 8,131,152.59 lei, excluding VAT, while the co-financing provided by the National Forest Administration – Suceava Forest Directorate from its own resources is 2,917,832.19 lei, excluding VAT.

Characterization of Salcea Forest Nursery

Salcea Forest Nursery is located in UAT Salcea and manages an area of 54.09 hectares of state-owned forest land. The area designated for cultivation is 46.62 hectares. The unit is divided into several sections, of which: 12.44 hectares are allocated for producing forest seedlings, 1.0 hectare for fruit shrubs, 0.3 hectares for mother plants, and 32.88 hectares for ornamental seedlings.

In the section designated for forest seedlings, 7 native species of forestry interest are produced annually: oak, sessile oak, cherry, maple, ash, beech, and linden. The declared intention is to increase the production and productivity of these species of forestry interest, as well as to modernize the production capacity of forest material.

As part of the modernization works for this nursery, the following are proposed:

• Construction of a storage and refrigeration facility in a prefabricated hall, measuring 12.5 m in width, 45 m in length, and 5.5 m in height at the eaves. The facility will be equipped with a refrigeration and humidification system (cold storage for seedlings, temperature -5/+5°C, humidity 75%, with an option to control humidity, dehumidification/humidification). This storage facility will allow the preservation of seedlings for an extended period under optimal conditions, ensuring a higher success rate after planting.
• Construction of a greenhouse measuring 10 x 100 m with vertical walls, equipped with a retractable irrigation and fertilization system, as well as a sprinkler irrigation system for a plot of 150 m in length and 30 m in width, dedicated to producing containerized forest seedlings. The greenhouse will be equipped with a substrate preparation line, filling trays, and seeding them.
• Equipping the nursery with specific machinery: gas-powered forklift, 155 HP tractor with front loader, 75 HP tractor, scarifier, reversible plow with 4 bodies, carried cultivator for the germination bed, platform trailer for transporting seedlings with three axles, trailer for soil, bed former with drum, seeder for forest seeds, germination bed former with harrow and roller, sand spreading machine, layer covering machine, root cutting machine, weeding machine, transplanting machine, trenching machine, bud tying machine, dislocator plow for seedlings, and irrigation gun.

Brief description of Prisaca Dornei Forest Nursery

Prisaca Dornei Forest Nursery is located near the locality of Prisaca Dornei, in the Vama commune, covering a total area of 7.86 hectares, of which 4.54 hectares are exclusively designated for the production of forest seedlings. The land on which the nursery is situated is part of the state forest fund.

For this nursery, plans include establishing a seed processing capacity (de-shelled and sorted), as well as an optimal storage facility for a longer period. Additionally, there are goals to increase and modernize the production capacity of forest seedlings of conifers (spruce, fir, larch, Scots pine).

The modernization works for this nursery include:

• • Construction of a hall with a functional ground floor on reinforced concrete foundations. The hall will be used for producing genetic material and storing seeds.
  • Drilling two wells to ensure the water needed for irrigating seedlings on plots and in greenhouses, as well as for the operational needs of the production hall.
  • Building a pre-heating water tank for irrigation, made of reinforced concrete, circular in shape, with a volume of approximately 300 cubic meters.
  • Creating a concrete platform for compost production, necessary for improving soil quality and providing environmental conditions for the biodegradation of plant residues.
  • Additionally, there are plans to equip the nursery with specific machinery, including: a system for drying, de-shelled, winnowing, and sorting conifer forest seeds, an assembly of machines that allows the processing of cones from harvesting to the stage of seed storage, a 75 HP tractor, an irrigation system with a drum, and a soil tiller.

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