The usage of pesticides on coniferous seedlings in Sweden declined by 4% in 2019 compared with 2018, instead mechanical treatment was used. This was shown by annual statistics from the Swedish Forest Agency on sold seedlings. The amount sold is about the same as the previous year. Source: Timberbiz
In 2019 381 million seedlings of forest species were delivered, which was the same level as in 2018. The number of delivered seedlings of Scots pine evened out. However, it is too early to say whether it is a new trend or not.
Seedlings of Norway spruce and Scots pine together constituted 96% of the total number of delivered seedlings. The trend of declining numbers of delivered lodgepole pine seedlings continued, but at a slower rate, and made up for 1.7%. The number of broadleaf was is stable and made up for only 0.6%.
Container-rooted seedlings was the dominating method of production for coniferous species. Scots pine and lodgepole pine are basically only produced as container-rooted seedlings.
In 2019 the share of Norway spruce seedlings produced as container-rooted was 77%, which was an increase of 9% compared with 2018. Most other coniferous species and broadleaves were produced as bare-rooted seedlings. Only a very small share of coniferous seedlings was produced as transplanted container-rooted seedlings.
Seed propagation was the dominating method of propagation of coniferous seedlings in 2019. The share of vegetatively propagated coniferous seedlings was negligible.
In total 54% of coniferous seedlings were delivered with some sort of protection against insect pests in 2019, and 46% were delivered untreated. The share of seedlings with some sort of mechanical treatment shows an increasing trend and was 42% in 2019. Correspondingly chemical treatment shows a clearly declining trend and was down to 12%.
A total of 80% of delivered seedlings in 2019 originated in Swedish seed-orchards, which was an increase compared with 2018.
Seedlings of Scots pine almost solely (99%) originated from Swedish seed-orchards. The share of Norway spruce seedlings originating from Swedish seed-orchards increased to 67% in 2019.
During 2018 nearly 48 million seedlings were imported to Sweden from other countries. That means 12% of delivered seedlings in 2018 (out of 384 million seedlings in total) had at least partly been produced outside Sweden. The import of seeds from abroad to Sweden was nearly 800 kg, out of which seeds of Norway spruce made up for 730 kg, which is rather smaller in comparison to previous years.
