INTRODUCTION OF EURAMERICAN POPLAR CULTIVARS IN PROTECTIVE FOREST STANDS OF THE CENTRAL CHERNOZEM REGION
It is noted that the main species for protective forest stands in the Central Chernozem Region are considered to be Common oak, pine, birch, and other species. Poplar was rarely used. But to 1980, the share of poplar in protective forest stands reached 32 %. Recently black euramerican poplars have been introduced into protective forest shelter belts. In this issue the results of variety testing of introduced euramerican black poplars (33 clones were tested) are presented. The best genotypes in terms of growth energy, survival, and productivity are selected. The following euramerican spontaneous hybrids can be recommended for protective forest stands in the region: ‘Brabantica', ‘Vernirubens', ‘Gelrika', ‘Caroline', ‘Marilandica', ‘Regenerata', ‘Robusta', ‘Serotina'. At the age of 40, their survival was 54.2-95.8 %, the average height varied from 30.7 to 37.0 m, the diameter - from 36.5 to 52.9 cm, the trunk volume - from 1.71 to 3.02 m<sup>3</sup>. The wood stock of these poplars at the age of 40 years was 500-1 320 m<sup>3</sup>/ha, the average increments were 17.1-33.0 m<sup>3</sup>/ha per year. In the control (local black poplar) these indices were significantly lower: survival of 29 %, height of 32 m, diameter of 43 cm, trunk volume of 1.70 m<sup>3</sup>, wood stock of 248 m<sup>3</sup>/ha, average increment of 6.2 m<sup>3</sup>/ha per year.