Wood drying condensate as Pinus Sylvestris L. seeds germination activator

Abstract

One of the urgent problems of reforestation is the shortage and lack of high-quality seeds. Although Pinus sylvestris L. is one of the most common species in Europe and Asia, the widespread felling of scots pine, due to the great demand for its valuable raw materials, created the need for the renewal of this breed. Artificial restoration of scots pine often occurs with the help of seeds of medium or low quality, due to the absence or shortage of high-quality raw materials. The solution to this problem can be the use of preparations that improve the quality characteristics of seeds. Therefore, the main task of our study was the impact on seeds, in order to improve their basic qualitative characteristics, of the proposed growth regulator — condensate formed during the drying of wood in the drying chamber of a woodworking enterprise. The reasons for choosing condensate were the content of a large amount of useful substances, cost-effectiveness, environmental safety of use for both humans and the environment, and ease of use. The results of the experiment showed that the germination of seeds was 97 %, and the germinative energy was 87 %. In addition, during the processing of the results of the experiment, it turned out that the substance under the study affects the ability of the seeds treated with it to resist rotting. The protective properties of the condensate are indicated by an insignificant amount of rotted seeds, which ranges from 0 to 1 %. Another weighty argument in favor of the use of condensate seeds for growth stimulation is the waste-free production which is undoubtedly an urgent direction today.