The Silviculture Division is one of the five research disciplines to have been stared at the initiation of forestry research at the institute. After the reorganization of forestry research, Silviculture Division now has Experimental Silviculture, General Silviculture, Seed Testing, Poplar Research Centre and Forest Operation Disciplines. The Division encompasses the activities of these disciplines and has a much sharpened focus on current Silvicultural problems in Indo-Gangetic plains of north India.
  

PROJECTS

Thrust Area:
 

• Dealing with technical queries pertaining to the silvicultural aspects.

• Handling and testing forest tree seeds.

• Genetic improvement of poplars.

• Development of nursery techniques of chirpine( Pinus roxburghii) and Blue pine (P. wallichiana).

• Introduction of Paulownia spp in different regions of India. 

• tandardization of nursery techniques of important commercial forestry species.

• Studies on forestry operations and development of forestry tools.  

Highlight of Achievements:
 

• Preliminary survey is being conducted in selected JFM areas.

• Collection of plant specimens is in progress from Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

• Tentative rules for seed testing of 100 species have been developed. Suitable methods of storage for Holoptelia integrifolia, Michalia champaca, Shorea robusta, Terminalia myriocarpa, Alnus nepalensis, A. nitida, Syzygium cumini, Pongamia pinnata, Dalbergia sissoo, Dendrocalamus strictus, D. membranaceus, Bambusa tulda, B. nutans, Azadirachta indica, Grewia optiva, Ulmus wallichiana, Acer caesium and Cedrus deodara. 

• Optimum treatment to break dormancy and to enhance germination have been determined for a number of species.

• The Seed Testing Section has conducted training programmes on seed technology and management especially for scientists and officials of state forest departments. The section has also provided guidelines and consultancies to set up seed testing stations/ laboratories to several state forest departments. The financial assistance has been provided to 16 Agricultural Universities with forestry faculties to take up research in seed technology. The Scientist in charge of this section has conducted this programme in the capacity of the Chief Technical Advisor, Seed Technology.

• Field trials have been developed for 60 clones of Populus deltoides in Jammu, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and West Bengal.

• New clones of Populus deltoides have been developed through hybridization and through germplasm from wild stands located in the U.S.A. Field trials of these clones is going on in India. Strategy for simultaneous early selection and vegetative multiplication of Populus deltoides has been developed. The strategy will help in achieving the accuracy of rotation age ( 6 years) selection while starting cloning at merely 2 years' age of clonal trials. 

• Nursery technology of Paulownia spp. has been developed and multiplication trials have been laid out in north India.

• Clonal materials of Dendrocalamus aspur, Eleaecarpus shaericus, poplar and Pinus roxburghii have been propagated. 

• Superior genotype clones of the seedlings were supplied to West Bengal Forest department and superior clones of Dalbergia sissoo have been supplied to Punjab Forest department.

• Regular training course on containerised Nursery Technique is being organized. Six courses have been organized so far in which 136 officials from 12 states have been trained.

• Various Forestry Tools have been developed and standardized. 

Future Plans: 
 

• Collection of field data under Joint Forest Management project.

• Identification of species and preparation of report of the flora of Andamans & Nicobar Islands. § Up gradation of Seed Testing Laboratory with the state- of- art equipments for testing and storage of seeds. 

• Development of a national facility in the ex-situ germplasm conservation of rare, endangered or otherwise valuable species. Development of seed testing rules in collaboration with ICFRE institutes, state forest departments and universities specially for the species important in afforestation programmes.

• Multilocational testing of poplar clones developed through control and open pollination through germplasm introduction.

• Development of bare root nursery technique of chirpine and containerised nursery technique of bluepine.

• Provenance trials of Pinus roxburghii under USDA Pine Project.

• Raising of Tall plants.

• Provenance trial of Neem under Neem project. 
   

Research Facilities Available: 
 

         Facilities including necessary equipments, specialization is available in Seed Testing Laboratory for testing and handling of seeds. Facilities for conducting nursery trials are available in the Central Nursery of F.R.I. Basic logging tools and specialization in logging.
 

Services available:
 

• Testing of seeds for viability.

• Quality seedlings of important forestry species are being raised and supplied to various NGOs, schools & farmers for planting.

• Preparation of compost for different divisions of F.R.I. 

• The Andaman & Nicobar Govt. is the sponsored agency (Funding Agency) in revision of the Forest Flora of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. 

• Sponsored research in seed technology under RGF programme to various universities, institutes of state forest departments etc.

• Standardization of nursery technology of Pines  (Pinus roxburghii and Pinus wallichiana) & Neem (Azadirachta indica) under USDA Pine project and Neem project respectively.

• Trials on poplars under poplar project. 

For details please contact: