Clones or improved seedlings of Eucalyptus? Not a simple choice

The industrial use of hybrid eucalypt clones has been hugely successful in Brazil and a limited number of other countries but there are manycircumstances where it is less risky and more economically sustainable to plant seedlings. This is particularly true for difficult-to-root purespecies and for organizations which do not have the financial and technical resources to manage a sustainable clonal program. Type of plantingstock does not add value per se; it is the ultimate return from the harvested crop which matters to growers. Case-by-case analysis of deploymentoptions is recommended, taking into account the growers objectives; species biology; technical capabilities and budget for R&D; and the scaleof nursery production which greatly affects plant unit costs. To assist such decisions pros and cons of clonal forestry are presented together with the technical requirements for clonal and seedproduction programs and for the middle course of vegetative multiplying tested superior families. Some case study examples are discussed.