Assessment of the Pinus Pallasiana Seed Material Quality in the Dry Steppe Zone of the Lower Volga Region

High-quality seeds of valuable local and introduced species and forms with good hereditary properties should be used for the purposes of reforestation and protective afforestation. Pinus pallasiana has been one of the leading crops in the forest reclamation of the dry steppe zone of the south of the European part of Russia for a century. Pinus pallasiana should be considered a very adapted species, it has good growth, resistance to diseases and pests in steppe and dry steppe zones. Obtaining high-quality planting material is a very urgent task. The aim of the study was to evaluate the quality indicators of Pinus pallasiana seeds as an indicator of seed plantations stability. The object of research is Pinus pallasiana seeds collected from 3 sites in the Volgograd Region. The article summarizes the data on the growth and condition of the Pinus pallasiana species in artificial plantations, as well as the natural and geographical characteristics of three different sites located in the Volgograd Region. Data analysis demonstrated intraspecific differences in Pinus pallasiana plants. The X-ray method was used to determine the quality of the seeds. The highest quality seed material was selected from plot No 1 (89% of full-fledged seeds). The results obtained for germination capacity (85%) and germination energy (79%) from this site are consistent with the indicators obtained by X-ray of seeds, according to GOST 14161-86 and correspond to the 2nd class of seed quality.