Results of poplar clone testing in field experiments

Abstract

Growth vigor of 7 poplar clones was researched, i.e. 5 candidate clones for registration (B-81, B-229, PE 19/66, 182/81 and 129/8) and 2 clonal cultivars (1-214 and "Pannonia") which had been registered earlier. The taxonomy of the study poplar clones was as follows: B-81 (Populus deltoides), B-229 (Populus deltoides), PE 19/66 (Populus deltoides), 182/81 (Populus deltoides), 129/81 (Populus x euramericana), 1-214 (Populus x euramericana) and "Pannonia" (Populus x euramericana). The research was performed in three field experiments established in 2002 on the area of the Forest Estate Sremska Mitrovica. Although the experiments were established with several planting spaces, the first information indicate that the candidate clone PE 19/66 had the greatest vigor on the optimal soil types (humofluviosol and fluvisol loamy form), while the candidate clone B-81 had the advantage on the less favored soil type (meadow black soil on loess alluvium). Based on the attained diameters and heights, it can be concluded that these are the successfully established plantations and that the candidate clones showed significant genetic potentials, which points to the fact that in future the production of poplar wood volume can be significantly increased.