Scientific Reports of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine

Biometric indicators of common oak seedlings of various origins under different acorn storage conditions

Serhii Sendonin*, Nataliia Puzrina, Yuriy Andrusiak, Igor Ivanyuk, Andrii Derii

s.e.sendonin@nubip.edu.ua

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Abstract

Reforestation and increasing the productivity of oak stands are important tasks in forestry. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of pre-sowing storage methods for common oak acorns and various propagation techniques on the biometric characteristics of common oak seedlings cultivated in forest stands. Indicators such as the height of the aboveground part, total and root weight, and the root collar diameter were evaluated. Special attention was paid to the influence of various methods of growing seedlings (container-grown stock, bare-root stock, and direct dibbling of acorns) on their physiological state. Analysis of the distribution of seedlings by condition categories (healthy, damaged, dead) established the best combinations of storage and cultivation. The results of the study showed that the method of storing acorns in trenches was the most effective, ensuring a high survival rate and the best biometric indicators of seedlings. Trench storage of acorns proved superior: container-grown seedlings (CGS) reached a height of 31.1-33.2 cm and a root mass of 8.8-10.8 g. When stratified in sand, the height was 31.2-31.4 cm. Storage in water showed the worst results: the height of CGS seedlings was 21.3-24.2 cm and root mass only 4.2-6.1 g. The proportion of healthy plants with the trench method was the highest (78-84 %), while the maximum number of dead plants was recorded in sand (26-28%). The development of first- to third-order lateral roots and the taproot directly affected the survival and retention of the stands. Seedlings with CGS planted on a forest site and seedlings grown by dibbling acorns have more developed root systems. The obtained data are of practical importance for developing recommendations for improving the quality of common oak planting material

Keywords

Quercus robur; seedling height; root system; planting material; container-grown system

Suggested citation
Sendonin, S, Puzrina, N., Andrusiak, Yu., Ivanyuk, I., & Derii, A. (2026). Biometric indicators of common oak seedlings of various origins under different acorn storage conditions. Scientific Reports of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, 22(4),20-34. https://doi.org/10.31548/dopovidi/4.2026.20
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