Mae Mai Plantation

With the support of TGG, a teak propagation nursery was established near the FIO Mae Mai satellite for the efficient production of saplings to use in the Thai reforestation project.

Teak Propagation Nursery at Mae Mai

This nursery is fully equipped with a fog humidification system.    Because just planted teak saplings have no roots, they are very susceptible to aridness and easily become diseased.    A constant water supply provided by the fog humidification system protects the saplings from desiccation.

Fog Humidification System in the Nursery	Preparation of Teak Saplings under the Fog Humidification System

Teak saplings prepared using technology developed by the FIO and TGG are grown with a controlled supply of water provided by this fog humidification system.    Once teak cuttings grown in plastic pots have generated sufficient roots and become saplings, they are transferred to soil beds and grown until big enough to plant in the field.

Teak Saplings Transplanted to Soil Beds

In this nursery, both teak sapling production is being carried out and new technology is being developed for the production of high quality saplings.

The latter will enable continuous preparation of teak saplings, even during the dry season.    Thailand has two seasons; a rainy and a dry season. Effective planting of prepared saplings can now be done only during the rainy season when there is sufficient water.    If saplings can be mass-produced during the dry season by means of the fog humidification system, it will be possible to plant them at the very start of the rainy season, ensuring a better chance of rooting.
   So far, it has been exceedingly difficult to prepare large numbers of saplings during the dry season.    In Thailand, all the annual precipitation is concentrated in rainy season, none falling during the dry season.    Preparation of saplings has been tried in the dry season, but most cuttings have died before rooting.
   If enough of the young saplings needed for widespread reforestation can be prepared during the dry season, the efficiency of reforestation activities will be markedly increased.    TGG has accepted the challenge of overcoming this difficulty in order to achieve the goal of reforestation.    We are involved in developing advanced technology techniques for the production of teak saplings during the dry season by means of a combination of new technologies and the novel root formation promoters previously developed by TGG.
   TGG is continuing to examine novel ways to plant viable trees so that damaged countries can be filled with green forests.

Mae Mai Plantation