Since the beginning of the Project, several important achievements in different aspects have been realised. However, at present there still remain urgent technical problems to be solved, on top of problems related to the extension of the Project's results, extrapolation to other regions and safe-guarding of valuable gene material collected or created by the Project.
The remaining problems include the following:
Results of this research become available on a particularly long term, of say between 10 and 15 years. As the establishment of newly bred clones in the field started only in the year 2000, the Project should plan to assure the existence of this material at least until 2010-2015. A stable cooperation mode is required with reliable scientific research institutions to continue follow-up and further research.
This problem is caused by extreme water-stress in recently planted plantations with MDP, and is amplified by the occurrence of three consecutive years of drought (1999-2001). The main measures to be taken are:
• in existing plantations, to weed carefully to reduce competition and
• for new plantations wait until climatic conditions return back to normal.
• special attention should be given to the soil- compaction around the planted cuttings after planting.
• use MAP for new plantation establishement while the drought lasts.
The existing MDP's have been developed on the basis of imported sub-soilers. It is now necessary to produce the MDP locally with locally available materials and know-how. Also, the problem of compaction-deficiencies after planting with the MDP should be solved.
The existing machine has potential for further improvement. A weak point is the wearing out of the auger bit, another the lack of a tensioner for the lifting chain mechanism. It has also been sugested to install high pressure nozzles and a water pump and tank, in order to wet the bit while it enters the soil, to reduce friction.
The new clones are only recently selected and available for establishment of pilot plantations. Further, the drought in the region has seriously affected the establishment of pilot plantations by the Project. To develop more demonstrations of the newly selected and developed clones would be one of the important tasks in the future.
Protection of P. simonii should become a government priority in view of its unique genetic characteristics and potential for breeding.
Techniques are not well enough advanced to guarantee successful establishment, so results from elimination trials remain doubtful: surviving species are sure to be allright, but for not surviving species the contrary can not be said at this time. Further research on procedures is needed. The same can be said for conifer species, to a lesser extend.
Extension and promotion of appropriate techniques/species/clones, developed by the Project and by others: a huge amount of work has to be done to include research advances into the daily workings of Forest Farms, Forest Bureaus, farmers involved in afforestation etc.
Forestry research and development require a long term approach. Both Governments involved and FAO have been aware of this and have supported the Project for over 12 years in a row. Nevertheless, more time is needed to fully put to value the investments done. The Project together with Chinese Forestry Institutions are looking for ways to safe-guard the work carried out (especially the gene-banks, clonal collections and new clones obtained through cross-breeding) and to continue and deepen the applied research activities started.
Major technical break-throughs have been realised (see main body of this report), but problems still remain and a huge effort is needed to make the results available to all involved in forestry activities in the Korqin and similar areas
Another major job lies ahead in the extra-polation and trying-out of the results obtained in the Korqin Sandy Lands to other areas of the TNSP.
The Project has had a favourable impact on forestry institutions in the region and in the TNSP, through improving technical and managerial capacities. This has been achieved through on the task training, through seminars and workshops, through participation to conferences and through study tours, both local and international. Contacts and interchanges with national and international consultants have further contributed in a positive way.
Personnel trained by the Project has moved higher up in the hierarchy and is holding some of the key positions. The lack in personnel stability in the Project have been amply compensated by this.
Personnel in the three branches of the Project have clearly benefitted the most of the Project, through their direct day-to-day involvement in the planing and execution of the field work and processing of the data. Also, Project Branches have benefitted greatly from equipment purchased by the Project. The quality of the afforestation in the Branches has improved and the scientific and research level and working efficiency have increased considerably.
Contributions by the Project in areas as clonal selection, tree-breeding, site classification, mechanised afforestation, integration of forestry agriculture and animal husbandry, species diversification and development of afforestation models, among others, are relevant and applicable to the direct reality of forestry in the Korqin and in a wider sense also for the TNSP and are having important economic consequences.
A follow-up Project should be prepared to be presented to the Donor, with as main objective the wider diffusion and extension of the results of the Project, including the publication of extension materials at different levels.
Special consideration should be given to the safe-keeping of the valuable gene banks, clonal collections and new clone comparisson trilals, in order to get the full return on the investment allready done. Their protection and utilization need to be included into the local Forest Bureau planing as soon as possible after the completion of the second phase of the Project in 2002. At the same time, results of the cross-breeding of P.simonii and their selection are just beginning and it will take many years before final results are obtained. This part of the Project's activities should be proposed to resort under the National Tenth Five-year Plan as a key research project and the state scientific research institutions will have to play a leading role in finishing it.
In mechanised afforestation, the MDP should be further refined, with special attention to the soil compaction, and produced locally with local materials. MAP and MDP, after one or two years of further observation and improvement, should be constructed on a larger scale and made avaiolable through commercial channels.
Integration of forestry, agriculture and animal husbandry is the only viable alternative to rehabilitate large extensions of the Korqin and at the same time to provide income and food for the population. Grazing should be controlled, goats should be fed in stables and not allowed to roam freely. Fodder should be produced in wide strips between belts of trees and shrubs and fed to the animals. Species diversification should be further promoted.
The data banks of the Project should be safe-kept and made widely available to all forestry research institutes in North-Eastern China.
Several trials are still on-going. Clonal selection from tree-breeding, gene-banks, clonal collections and conifer species and provenance selection are among them. Forest Farms should be provided with incentives to continue the maintenance of these valuable trials, and a framework agreement should be established with the corresponding Forest Bureaus to supervise and protect them, for a period of at least ten more years after termination of the Project.
Poplar afforestation should be done polyclonally, mixed in mosaique, and not with a single clone, no matter how out-standing it may be.
The genetic resources of the native species of the Region should be better protected in view of the conservation of its bio-diversity and of their greening potential and proved capability to thrive under the difficult environmental conditions of the Region. This should be done both in situ through strict conservation measures of still existing remmants, and ex situ.
