UAV AND GIS BASED TOOL FOR COLLECTION AND PROPAGATION OF SEEDS MATERIAL – FIRST RESULTS

Abstract. Seed management carried out by The State Forests National Forest Holding is an integral part of rational forest management. Seed collection takes place mainly from stands belonging to first category of forest reproductive material, which is the largest seed base in Poland. In smaller amount, seeds are collected in selective objects of highest forest reproductive material category (selected seed stands, seed orchards). The previous estimation methods of seed crop were based on visual assessment of cones in the stands for their harvest. Following the rules of FRM transfer is additional difficulty of rational seed management which limits the possibility of the use of planting material in Poland.

Statements concerning forecast of seed crop and monitoring of seed quality is based on annual reports from the State Forest Service. Forest Research Institute is responsible for preparing and publishing above-mentioned statements. A small extent of its automatization and optimization is a large disadvantage of this procedure. In order to make this process more effective web-based GIS application was designed. Its main performance will give a possibility to upload present-day information on seed efficiency, their spatial pattern and availability. Currently this system is under preparation.

As a result, the project team will get a possibility to increase participation of seed material collected from selected seed base and to share good practices on this issue in more efficient way. In the future this will make it possible to obtain greater genetic gain of selection strategy.

Additionally, first results presented in literature showed possible use of unmanned aerial system/vehicle (UAS/V) for supporting of seed crop forecast procedure.