The Argentine province of Córdoba has become the first in the country to establish a mandatory environmental floor for agricultural establishments. The law stipulates that each producer must dedicate between 2% and 5% of their land to afforestation, depending on the region and pre-existing tree cover.
Plantations with native species contribute to the restoration of agroecosystems and the generation of other environmental services such as water regulation, pollinator attraction, recovery of degraded soils, and the creation of biological corridors.
The varieties planted include chañar, various types of algarrobo, field sen, field apple, espinillo, tusca, black espinillo, cina cina, moradillo, and aguaribay, among others.
Large-scale production of these native species presents challenges, such as cultivating seeds with low germination rates, prolonged dormancy periods, or hard shells that hinder water absorption. Therefore, the facilities of Gen Nativo function more as laboratories than as traditional nurseries.
"This program is a concrete demonstration of that commitment: a space where we produce native trees for afforestation while also strengthening biodiversity and promoting a more harmonious relationship between production and the environment," said the Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Marcos Blanda.
Producing and Afforesting Gen Nativo was created under the Agroforestry Law No. 10.467, enacted in 2017 and regulated in 2018. It is estimated that they can generate between 10,000 and 30,000 plants monthly.
"The objective of the Ministry of Bioagroindustry is to ensure a constant supply of specimens, reducing costs for producers and bringing nurseries closer to their areas," explained Luisina Battistón, a biologist and head of the Agroforestry Area of the Secretariat of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
The provincial initiative aims to maintain stable production throughout the year under controlled environmental conditions, something more difficult to achieve with traditional nursery methods.
"We assume the responsibility of caring for and generating natural resources with an integral and sustainable vision. The photoperiod of the plants and their humidity are also controlled," she added.
The process begins by sowing seeds in trays of 30 to 35 cells on a substrate composed of 60% vermiculite (a natural mineral) and 40% perlite (volcanic rock), materials that optimally retain moisture. Germination varies from four days to two weeks, depending on the species. Once the seedlings reach between 5 and 10 centimeters, the second stage of the process begins with their transfer to the greenhouse, where the pricking out (transplanting) is performed: the specimens are moved from the artificial substrate to individual trays where they remain for one to six months.
The greenhouse can hold 10,000 specimens, while the macro-tunnels and outdoor fields add a capacity for 40,000 more. The final stage is the hardening or acclimatization to the outdoors, where the plants spend between six months and a year gradually adapting to natural environmental conditions under partial shade and with assisted irrigation.
The results are available on Mapas Córdoba, the IDECOR platform, where producers can consult relevant data, such as survival and growth rates, and download technical booklets and germination materials. This data is continuously updated and is available to anyone interested in production, research, or restoration with native species.
The province of Córdoba reported on the results of its network of five laboratories, which produce native species to reforest rural plots, municipalities, and schools. This is the Gen Nativo program of the Ministry of Bioagroindustry, which aims to guarantee a stable supply of native trees and shrubs throughout the year.
Together with the Provincial Nursery Network, the program has already produced nearly 300,000 specimens and plans to distribute 100,000 trees in 2025, double that of the previous year. The facilities are deployed in Corralito, San Francisco, Laboulaye, Coronel Moldes, and Despeñaderos. Seeds are received from the Peasant Movement and the National Germplasm Bank of Prosopis. After a quality analysis, a code is assigned indicating its area of origin, to return the specimens to their ecoregion of origin.
The process begins with specific pre-germination treatments for each of the more than 25 species managed by the program. The germination chamber operates with controlled temperatures, managed between 22 and 30 degrees.
