International Scientific Journal on Reforestation, Afforestation and Tree Reproduction
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Issue 21, 2026

Online ISSN: 2466-4367

, Issue 21, (2026)

Published: 22.01.2026.

Open Access

This Special Issue of Reforesta, International Practices for Regenerating and Restoring Forest Trees by Seeding, brings together regional practice and research from North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania on using broadcast and direct seeding to create forest cover. It presents a significant range of seeding activities inclusive of species, forests, sites, and climates. Seeding has regained interest because of its scalability and cost-effectiveness, particularly for remote or inaccessible areas, sites with low productivity where planting seedling costs are prohibitive, or when aiming for a more natural forest structure. Technological innovations, particularly in seed treatments, automation, and precision seeding improve success of large-scale seed dispersal.

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01.12.2023.

Research paper

Establishment of Gmelina arborea plantation in an uncultivated farmland inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and plant growth promoting bacteria
Beneficial microbes are very essential for establishing tree plantations, particularly in wastelands or abandoned lands that make them suitable for cultivation. To establish a plantation in uncultivated farmland Gmelina arborea Roxb. tree seedlings were previously inoculated with the beneficial microbes (Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi - Gigaspora albida, Glomus aggregatum), plant growth promoting rhizo bacteria (PGPRs) - Azospirllum brasilense, Bacillus megaterium) in single and combinations. The effect of these beneficial microbes were analysed and it was found that the seedlings inoculated with AM fungi + PGPRs1+ PGPRs2 have improved in growth and biomass (shoot length: 85.3 cm plant-1; root length: 40.2 cm plant-1; number of leaves: 42.3 plant-1; stem girth: 9.5 mm plant-1; shoot dry weight: 8.89 g plant-1; root dry weight: 1.81 g plant-1) than the control and individual microbe inocuations. The tissue nutrients (N: 9.1 mg g-1; P: 9.5 mg g-1; K: 6.1 mg g-1) found higher particularly in AM fungi + PGPRs inoculated seedlings. Thus, improved seedlings were transplanted in an uncultivated farmland and monitored for growth and survival. The seedlings planted in the uncultivated farmland showed significant growth improvement. The single (AM fungi, PGPRs1, PGPRs2) and dual (AM fungi + PGPRs1/PGPRs2) inoculated seedlings of G. arborea showed 75 to 87% survival whereas the combined treatment (AM fungi + PGPRs1 + PGPRs2) showed 96% survival in farmland. These results confirmed that these beneficial microbes significantly contributed to the establishment of G. arborea seedlings in the uncultivated farmland through the transfer of nutrients.

Karthikeyan Arumugam, Lingam Mahalingam, Shyama Parameswaran Nair, Jini Viju Pamboor Chacko, Mayavel Annamalai, Muthu Кumar Arunachalam

01.12.2019.

Research paper

Afforestation in barren laterite lands with Swietenia macrophylla G. King and plant growth promoting microbes
Barren laterite lands are available plenty in Kasargode District of Kerala, India and being used mainly for extracting laterite bricks for building construction. These lands are found barren due to lack of vegetation and rocky nature. Afforestation in these lands is very essential to avoid extraction of laterite bricks so as to prevent degradation of lands.  To develop vegetation in these laterite lands the soil properties of laterite was examined as a first step of afforestation process.  It was found that the soils have lack of plant growth promoting microbes (PGPM) and poor in major nutrients (N, P, K). Therefore, the PGPM specifically arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Glomus fasciculatum and Glomus geosporum) and bacteria (Azospirillum brasilense and Bacillus megaterium) were used for afforestation in laterite lands along with Swietenia macrophylla G. King a commercially important tree of Kerala, India.  The laterite soils were collected and used as potting media for growing seedlings of S. macrophylla in nursery and the cultured PGPM were inoculated in to the seedlings of S. macrophylla and maintained for 3 months. The PGPM inoculated seedlings showed improved growth, biomass and nutrient uptake. Thereafter the seedlings were transplanted at laterite lands at Karmanthodi, Bovikanam, Kasargode, Kerala, India and monitored their growth for 12 months. The seedlings inoculated with PGPM showed up to 98% survival rate with improved growth. From this study it was understood that PGPM have the potential to increase the efficiency of plant growth system in S. macrophylla seedlings through supply of essential levels of N, P and K that helped for successful afforestation in hardy laterite lands.

Karthikeyan Arumugam