Grey alder as a potential for increased energy-oriented production in Sweden – Evaluation of progeny experiments and their transformation to long-term silvicultural experiments

Fast-growing deciduous tree species have been highlighted as an important contribution to increased biomass production. Gray alder can be a hardy alternative for cultivation in central and northern Sweden. Gray alder has a rapid growth, an ability to fix nitrogen and a low preference as browsing fodder.

In 2012, a project was initiated to evaluate the breeding potential of grey alder. Seeds were collected from selected plus trees and cultivated to plants. Offspring trials were established by planting in the spring of 2015 at eight sites.

In this project, a final evaluation of the offspring trials will be carried out. The families with the highest breeding value will be inoculated and archived in field archives. The offspring trials will then be converted to thinning experiments and be used for long-term monitoring of growth and yield.

If the tree species show potential, large areas can become interesting for cultivation and contribute to increased availability of renewable products.