The plants produced from seeds resulting from provenance/progeny trials conducted with cryptomeria under the Azores Forest Improvement Programme already evidence, after a decade, genetic gains between five and seven percent.

The data were revealed on Friday during a technical and scientific visit made by programme coordinating team to the experimental fields installed on the island of São Miguel. This programme is being developed by the Regional Secretariat for Natural Resources through the Regional Directorate for Forest Resources in partnership with other entities.

"After 10 years, which represents one third of the cutting age of cryptomeria, the plants grown from seeds produced in these trials already evidence genetic gains between five and seven percent," stated the Regional Director for Forest Resources, Anabela Isidoro. The government official also participated in the visit to the park where Japanese cryptomeria mother plants are grown and the mini orchard located at Macela Recreational Forest Reserve as well as to Labaçal, Água Retorta, where provenance/progeny trials are being conducted.
 
During this visit, it was also possible to ascertain the improvement of the cutting production technique (clonal orchard in Macela) to obtain trees with superior genetic characteristics (height, cylinder shape, natural pruning, volume, density).

The Regional Director said that "the group of trees from the region of Kyushu, Japan, has evidenced an interesting growth, which will be taken into account in the next cycle of improvement (2nd generation)."

The genetic enhancement programme is based on three main axes. The first concerns the genetic enhancement of cryptomeria, which is the most representative species of forest production in the Azores and the mainstay of the local forest industry, towards a rational use of the species, increased productivity, better health of specimens and improved quality of raw material
The remaining axes correspond to the groundwork for the introduction or expansion of other forest species with the purpose of diversifying a sustainable production system and the domestication of indigenous species.

In this context, several experimental fields have been installed since 2001, covering an area of approximately 25 hectares spread across eight islands. These fields are monitored on a periodical basis.