- For many years chestnut was a staple and chestnut wood widely used in construction, furniture and others. Since the 1960s, however, a significant loss of chestnut trees began in the forests of Euskal Herria and Navarra: “The serious diseases of ink and cancer, the industrialization of society and the introduction of pine in the mountains caused the loss of chestnuts,” explains Mikel Diaz Oses, a technician from the Montes department of the Government of Navarra. Oses has been working with more members for years on the recovery and promotion of chestnut trees in Navarra.
Wood production is much more advanced in Galicia, Asturias and other surrounding areas: “In order to solve diseases, the CIF Lourizan research center of Galicia created in the 1980s a collection of hybrids between local chestnut and Japanese chestnut and planted in Baztan in 1984 a testing plot that gathered the entire collection,” explains the technician. Of these, six ink resistant clon-hybrids have been selected and placed on seven plots in Navarra in the last three years: Arantza, Baztán, Bera, Ituren, Leitza, Lesaka and Luzaide.
But why hybridization? Because their chestnuts are not resistant to disease and Japanese do, but at the same time Japanese does not serve wood and natives do. “They have been experimental plantations with these hybrids to test if it is possible to produce wood here, and if good results are obtained, the data will be used to recommend to individuals and municipalities what kind of clones they can plant.” Due to the loss of pine disease, an alternative to chestnut and other species is being sought.
Recovering native varieties
Unlike Navarre, in Galicia and Bierzo, the fruit production has not been interrupted either, so they have developed the identification and conservation of their varieties. Clones are incorporated into native varieties to produce fruit. In Navarre, until recently, indigenous varieties were not nearly researched, and the Forest Nursery has been conducting popular interviews by municipalities. “Location of chestnut trees in mountains and genetic analysis. According to the provisional results, we have received about 16 varieties of Navarra,” said Oses. This is the second leg of the chestnut recovery project: “The work from now on will be to describe, record and analyze its utility for commercialization.”
Some municipalities have shown special interest in the recovery of indigenous varieties, and through the municipalities and the INTIA are organizing successful courses in the last three years, in collaboration with technicians from Asturias, Bierzo and Galicia, from experienced regions.