Euphoria in the botanical community: Argentina improves the productivity of its pine trees by 48% and accelerates its reforestation speed
The National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) of Argentina managed to improve the volumetric productivity of the hybrid pine that it produces in Misiones, the main forestry province of the country, by up to 48%. The advance is the result of more than thirty years of forest genetic improvement developed at the Montecarlo Agricultural Experimental Station, according to the Government of Argentina.
The breeding program is not limited to a single species. It covers the three most planted pine varieties in the region: Pinus taeda, Pinus elliottii and a hybrid developed by INTA itself known as F1 INTA-PINDO. The highest results, which cover 48% volumetric increase, correspond to the latter, which far exceeds the performance of the genetic materials used in previous generations. How did INTA improve the productivity of pine trees in Misiones by up to 48%? The technique is based in the selection of superior trees within current plantations, the multiplication of their genetic material under controlled conditions and the generation of hybrids with specific characteristics of performance and wood quality. The process, which INTA has been perfecting for more than three decades, combines criteria of volume, trunk shape and resistance to obtain seedlings with a greater production potential from the moment they are planted. The three results per species are as follows. Pinus taeda reaches an increase of up to 24% in volume compared to the reference material; Pinus elliottii achieves a 25% improvement compared to seeds from the original orchards; and the F1 INTA-PINDO hybrid pine reaches a 48% volumetric increase compared to previous generations. Cristian Rotundo, researcher at the EEA Monte Carlo, leads the team responsible for these improvements. How do the improved pine trees reach the Argentine plantations? The link between the laboratory and the forest are the forest nurseries. The Arco Iris Nursery, located in Puerto Esperanza (Misiones) and directed by Luis Kutz, has been working in association with INTA for more than twenty-five years. Kutz confirms that "improved materials have an interesting gain in production," according to statements collected by Argentina Forestal. In addition, he points out that the nursery distributes certified seedlings to plantations in Misiones and neighboring regions, closing the circuit between research and the field. Genetic propagation on a scale requires this network of specialized nurseries. A seedling with improved genetics has a productive cycle of between 15 and 25 years, which turns the decision of which seed is used today into a long-term impact variable: the trees planted in 2026 will define the volume and quality of wood available in the 1940s. What does the progress mean for reforestation and the Argentine forestry industry? The program has a direct effect on the technological sovereignty of the Argentine forestry sector. Historically, much of the genetic material used in Misiones plantations came from abroad. The certified germplasm that INTA produces today reduces that dependence and allows the entire forestry-industrial chain (from the nursery to the sawmill) to operate with materials of national origin and verified performance. Reforestation benefits in two dimensions. The first is volume: more wood per hectare in the same time cycle means greater forest density with the same planted area. The second is profitability: plantations with 48% more volumetric production generate greater returns in the same twenty-year cycle, which makes investment in new plantations more viable and, with it, the expansion of the forest area.
