Start of environmental recovery work with Pinus pinaster grafting in the Dunas de Vagos National Forest

On January 3, the PINUS Center had its first field trip of 2024 as part of the genetic improvement activity of the transForm Agenda. In the Dunas de Vagos National Forest, they accompanied the first works for the installation of a future Pinus pinaster seed orchard that will occupy an area of 5.5 hectares.

The operations were carried out by a team from the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF)-Centro with the support of Teresa Serra, manager of this national forest, through mechanized and motorized interventions aimed at managing vegetation and conducting the natural regeneration of maritime pine that is around 5 years old.
In the coming months, under the guidance of the National Institute for Agrarian and Veterinary Research (INIAV), the first graftings will be carried out, which in the future will give rise to pine trees with greater productivity and wood quality for the production of more +PINUS seeds.
To date, the Orchard located in the Escaroupim National Forest is the only maritime pine orchard to have been grafted.
The Orchard managed by the PINUS Center in Chamosinhos, in the municipality of Valença, originated from a plantation rather than grafting, a more demanding technique, but with the advantage of allowing seed to be produced earlier.