Preliminary results from a plantation of semi-arid hybrid of Paulownia Clone in vitro 112® under conditions of the Czech Republic from the first two years

A private owner established a plantation of a semi-arid hybrid of Paulownia Clone in vitro 112® near the village of Střelice u Brna in 2016. We split the plantation according to terrain micro-relief (into three expositions: South slope, Plain area and North slope) and according to the applied biotechnology of planting (into two parts: each with planting into 20 and 30 cm holes in diameter). We tested different winter protection techniques for above and belowground plant organs. The results suggest that plants inside the 30 cm holes survive and grow better than those inside the 20 cm ones, regardless of terrain micro-relief. On the other hand, plants inside the 20 cm holes survive and grow better on flat areas compared to the others. The most effective protection of the root system against frost during the wintertime seems to be simple soil covering. We have also recognized that bandage of non-woven fabric is the best protection for the above-ground parts of the plants. However, growing conditions in the Czech Republic (CR) are different to those in semi-arid climate for which researchers bred the Paulownia Clone in vitro 112®. It is possible to achieve well-growing and surviving Paulownia plants under growing conditions of the CR when appropriate biotechnology and continuous treatment are applied. Keywords: Paulownia Clone in vitro 112®, plantation, exposition, mortality, growth, protection against frost damage