RESUMEN DEL PROYECTO

La madera de castaño (Castanea sativa)es reconocida en el ámbito internacional como una madera de alto valor que se sitúa en un segundo nivel luego de las maderas preciosas tales como el ébano y la caoba. En Chile al contrario, ocupa una posición marginal dentro del mercado interno y es utilizada generalmente como un sucedáneo del Encino (Quercus robur) en la industria del mueble. Sin embargo, en la zona sur existe una fuerte tradición de uso de la especie como productora de frutos y ornamental.

Estudios realizados en el país muestran que castaño presenta interesantes características de crecimiento, buena calidad de la madera y una amplia superficie con potencialidad para su establecimiento, cuestión que ha sido reconocida por la política forestal mediante su incorporación en la tabla de costos de forestación que anualmente fija CONAF, en forma diferenciada y con la más alta ponderación para su bonificación.

Una fuerte limitación en la actualidad es que no existe en Chile una masa de plantaciones de la especie creada y manejada con fines de producción maderera, lo cual tiene como consecuencia que el producto presente en el mercado es de calidad deficiente y con importantes porcentajes de pérdidas en su uso por la presencia de defectos. A pesar de estas limitaciones, el precio de la madera es bueno, similar al de especies nativas como el Raulí (Nothofagus alpina).

Objetivo del proyecto

Incrementar la productividad de plantaciones de castaño en Chile a través del desarrollo de individuos forestales superiores.

Cómo lograremos esto:

- Desarrollando un estándar de planta forestal de castaño para optimizar la relación tecnología - calidad.

- Aumentando la productividad de las plantaciones de castaño y potenciando su característica de especie multipropósito a través del manejo integrado orientado a mejorar la calidad de la madera y la utilización de su fruto para alimento animal.

- Generando material de reproducción certificado de calidad forestal para la masificación de las plantaciones productivas de calidad.

SUBIR

ENHANCING THE CHESTNUT CULTURE FOR TIMBER
PRODUCTION IN CHILE

Chestnut (Castanea sativa) timber is recognized internationally as a high value timber, located in a second level after other precious timbers, such as ebony and mahogany. In Chile on the contrary, it occupies a marginal position inside the internal market. It is generally used as a substitute of oak (Quercus robur) in the industry of furniture and furniture components. However, in the southern area it exists a strong tradition of use of the species as a producer of fruits and as ornamental.

Studies carried out in the country show that the chestnut tree presents interesting characteristics of growth, good quality of the wood and a wide area with potentiality for its establishment. This has been recognized in the forest policy by means of its incorporation among the selected species that receive special subsidies for the forestation, determined annually by CONAF, with the highest premium.

urrently, the higher limitation is the lack of a mass of plantations of the proposed species. Additionally, the existing plantations in Chile had not received a management oriented to timber production, which has as consequence that the products present in the market are of poor quality and with important percentages of losses, due to the presence of defects. In spite of these limitations, the price of the wood is good, similar to that of native species as Raulí (Nothofagus alpina).

Considering that already is available technical information on the chestnut forest cultivation, this investigation pursues to improve the timber productivity of the species by means of the development of forest individuals with superior characteristics.

This will be achieved through the development of a standard of plants of chestnut tree special for timber production, considering nursery technology that can ensure a good relationship among price/quality. Furthermore, in existent plantations will be proved practices of pruning, thinning and sprouts handling, which will improve the forest productivity through the decrease of the rotation cycle and the increase of the quality of the wood. In the same way, the selection of individuals will permit the development of forests with excellent characteristics (plus trees), which will be reproduced vegetatively to be preserved in a clone bank and established in cloned experimental units.

Both actions ensure a good performance and competitiveness of the Chestnut tree business for those who invest in this option. This through the availability of forest plants, for the possibility of reproducing material with a first selection, and for the availability of adequate forest management techniques for the generation of quality timber.

Finally to achieve these objectives the project considers a Technological Transfer Program that will be applied contemporary with the project development. This will be possible because of the existence of a nursery net, as well as producers and forest operators associated to this proposal, which will benefit by means of the articulation between them and by the enhancement of the improved plant sales business in the short term.

The project has a 3 year-old duration, its cost it is of $305.203.000, which is assumed in a 20,76% for INFOR, and a 32,06% for the private associates.