Poplar trees cloned in Uttarakhand for more production

LALKUAN - The Forest Research Centre at Lalkuan in Uttarakhand’s Nainital District has successfully cloned species of poplar trees, thereby lending a fillip to poplar-based agro forestry.

To promote this agro forestry, the species of poplar’s F-2 series saplings are being cloned.

The scientists of Forest Research Centre here said these cloned plants could yield more production in less time.

Wood and teak are supplementary means of income for many farmers in the state.

“For farmers, we prepare new clone by control hybridisation. We have selected clone which have gone through field trials; productive capacity is good, such cloned plants are cultivated on commercial basis and these plants we provide to farmers and local forest departments,” said R S Bisht, Range Officer, Forest Research Centre, Lalkuan.

87 poplar clones prepared by hybridisation process between 2005 and 2007 are currently under field trial after observation at the nursery stage.

The poplar trees are being cloned here since 1983.

20 poplar tree species under the ‘L series’ were cloned at this centre; the experiment was expedited after the formation of a separate state of Uttarakhand.

“After the formation of Uttarakhand, we have been working on F2 generation, in this earlier cloned plants are again hybridised and new clones are produced. In 2005, fourteen poplars were cloned, 33 were cloned in 2006 and 40 poplars were cloned in 2007,” said Prachi Gangwar, Silviculturist, Forest Research Centre, Lalkuan.

The poplar hybridisation involves crossing among selected trees to produce the best between the two combinations of genes. The main purpose of this cloning is more production in less time.

Poplar trees are widely used for manufacture of paper, matchbox, and plywood among others.

The wood is generally white, often with a slightly yellowish tinge. (ANI)