FORESTRY TREE SEED SOURCE

INTRODUCTION

Overview

The knowledge of how to get a quality seed source is absolutely necessary. It is need to avoid the failure in forest development especially in plantation program. Moreover, this knowledge also useful to determine what strategy and what action that must be done before we get the desirable seed source.

Forestry tree seed source is a location where quality seeds are collected. The differences of genetic potency between each seed sources sometimes very big, so, it is very influential to the successful story of forest development program. The failure in plantation forest development which is caused by the error in choosing the appropriate species for the right site plantation, however, might be caused by the inaccuracy in order to choose the best seed source that can be used. Because, each type of plant requires a suitable plantation environment in order to grow well, especially type of soil, climate and elevation (Ministry of Forestry, 2010).

The quality of seed source also can increase the economic value of the seeds. Sometimes, seeds that were produced by quality seed source seem very expensive. However, that prize not more than 5 % from total cost of forest development, but can reach very high results. In fact, a species that comes from good seed source which apply tree improvement techniques increases the result until 300%. So, it is still profitable when compared with using low quality seed (Leksono, 2010).

In recent years, stake holders’ awareness to use quality seeds that come from quality seed source is increase especially in Industrial Plantation Forest sector. Even in forest rehabilitation and agro forestry program start to use superior seed to produce forest with good quality. Unfortunately, the increasing of stake holders’ awareness do not supported by the availability of quality seed sources and restrictiveness of information about where they can find the best seed source for their plantation program.

The limitation of availability of quality seed sources some time occur because of much factors. High cost is the common factor that faced in seed source supplying. To construct quality seed source requires very high cost which used to get quality seed, seed source development and seed source maintenance. Length of time is also a problem in order to develop forest tree seed source. As we know, forest crops need time around 6-12 years to produce seeds.

Restrictions:

1. Seed is all parts of plant that be used to make a new plant including seed, branch, leave, root etc.

2. Forest tree seed source is a collection of trees (trees stand) either inside or outside forest area which is managed to produce the quality seed

3. Stakeholders are all sector that involved in forestry, especially in forest and land rehabilitation and tree improvement, including government sector, nonprofit organization, nongovernment organization, private sector and community sector

4. Appointment is a method to get forest seed source from either natural forest or plantation forest without development process

5. Construction is a method to make a forest tree seed source through planting process, applying treatments and maintaining process.

SEED SOURCE

Definition

Leksono (2010), said that seed source is a collection of trees either inside or outside forest area which is managed to produce the quality seed. Seed source can be got by both appoint and construct that considered to the principals of seed source development.

Seed source got from appoint process can be obtained from natural forest or plantation forest that not be managed to produce seeds before. This seed source is needed to fill the seed requirement in short term period. While the seed source got from construct process can be obtained only from plantation forest which has main goal to produce seeds for specific objectives such as to increase wood quality, wood volume, oil production and quality seed.

Classification

According to the regulation of Minister of Forestry No. P.1/Menhut-II/2009 (revised) about the implementation forest tree seed activities, forestry tree seed source can be divided into seven levels. They are:

1. Identified stands ( Tegakan Benih Teridentifikasi)

2. Selected Stands (Tegakan Benih Terseleksi)

3. Seed Production Area (Areal Produksi Benih )

4. Provenance seed stands (Tegakan Benih Propenan)

5. Seedling seed orchards (Kebun Benih Semai)

6. Clone seed orchards (Kebun Benih Klon)

7. Hedge orchards (Kebun Pangkas)

The quality of seed source is classified based on the treatment and selection that have done in each seed source level. However, according to the composition above, the quality of seed source also can be identified from the lowest genetic quality, Identified Seed Source, to the highest genetic quality, Hedge Seed Source. What treatments and selection that must be done to each seed source will be explained in the next chapter.