RESUME

Where does the Czech nursery practice lead up?
Antonín Jurásek (pp. 99-101)

The author evaluates broadly the post-war development of the Czech nursery practice with emphasising the last 10 years and concludes the nursery practice has gone through remarkable changes depending from the transformation of forestry at the beginning of the nineties. Forest nurseries have been privatised soon. They have regained the character of commercial nurseries, common in abroad. Also new legislation was adopted formerly implemented principles of reproduction material transfer conditions business in the field by granting a license.

Technical and technological development in nurseries<
Jindřich Neruda, Alois Švenda (pp. 111-113)

At present (data from 1998), the forest in Czechia is being regenerated on the area of 26.9 thousand ha, out of which the artificial regeneration covers 24.3 thousand ha including 6.2 thousand ha of repeated regeneration, and 2.6 thousand ha (about 10 per cent) the natural regeneration. Coniferous species cover 64 per cent of the regenerated area, deciduous ones 36 per cent. The share of natural regeneration is expected to remain at least at the level of 10 per cent. At the same time the released agricultural land is expected to be afforested gradually (up to 260 thousand ha). Regardless a certain drop in the demand, resulting from increased natural regeneration and introduction of more cautious operations, the annual consumption of plantable plants has been still achieving a significant volume of 150 millions of pieces. The production of bare-rooted planting from nursery beds prevails (93-95 per cent). The ratio of container-grown and balled plants has dropped from 12-14 per cent at the end of the eighties to current 5-7 per cent and any marked increase is not expected. The authors evaluate the prospects of bare-rooted and container-grown plants in context of trends prevailing in European countries with advanced forestry. A new approach to growing plants in containers, which developed in Europe during the eighties, is thoroughly described. It can be characterised as a highly rationalised (partially automated) production of containerised medium-sized plants grown from sowing in multi-cell firm plastic containers in an intensive, maximum two-year growing cycle and its application as a substitution for bare-rooted planting material in common (not only extreme) conditions. For example in spruce it represents a seedling 26-35 cm high and with 0.2-0.3 l ball. Finally, revival of nurseries depends from a direct and active interest of the planting stock consumers who are naturally interested in quality and economy of forest regeneration.

Evaluation of planting stock quality
Jarmila Martincová (pp. 114-115)

Evaluation of morphological and physiological quality of planting stock in the form of advisory service for nursery managers and forest owners has been pursued from 1995 in the Czech Republic. Currently, a procedure of accrediting is in process at the Research Station Opočno. The evaluation is based on the state standard ČSN 482115, which determines major morphological and physiological features of plants. In order to complete it detailed national standards are now designed. They aim at precise specification of criteria applicable in EC and requirements specific for concrete Czech conditions. The standard briefly indicates also methods of a physiological quality control.