Ready in less than ten years

Thanks to the rapid vegetative cycle (8-10 years) of the exclusive clones used by Panguaneta, poplar makes it possible a safe and reasonable agronomic practice.  Poplar-growing, which represents for Italy and, in particular, for the areas of the Po Valley the most important internal source of timber for industrial use, provides for the realization of monoclonal plantations. Panguaneta follows each cultivation phase. In spite of the shortness of rotations, the application of suitable cultivation techniques fosters the achievement of very remarkable production volumes. Moreover, the particular fertility of the valley, the optimum exposure to sunlight and the ideal latitude accelerate the growth of Panguaneta plantations more than in other countries. The careful selective search for clones and the work in the plantations allow the company to constantly have a select and top-quality raw material.

Green industry

Poplar, with a planting density varying between 6x6 and 7x7 up to 7x8m, grows from 25 to 35 cm per year, compared to an average growth of 9 cm of Italian forests. A hectare cultivated with a ten-year cycle produces 250 tons of wood. A cubic metre of wood is equivalent to a reduction of 1 ton of CO2; in 12 years, a 1 hectare poplar grove purifies 41,500 m3 of water…  On average, each mature poplar gives:  500kg slices (for plywood processing), 100kg sub-slices (generally used for pallets) and 300kg chips, to be used as biomass for energy production. These volumes prove the industrial nature of poplar, which is able to offer a quality wood and, at the same time, to guarantee a sustainable development of the territory. The ecological use of poplars as a buffer area (for windbreaking, phytodepuration, erosion control…) is another characteristic proving the high value of this cultivation for the whole agro-environmental system of the Po Valley.

European forests

Over 90% of the wood used in Europe comes from European forests. Contrary to what is usually thought about an almost fatal link between the use of wood and the destruction of forests, only the use of wood by the market can actually contribute to the development of new forests and the preservation of the existing ones.  In particular, poplar plantations, which can alternate short ten-year vital cycles, represent an important instrument for this purpose. As a proof of it, it is possible to highlight that the forest coverage in Europe is increasing by 510,000 hectares per year. And only 64% of the annual growth is cut down. Thus, the quantity of wood in Europe is continuously increasing. The European production represents approximately 25% of wooden manufactured products and 30% of wood-based panels, paper and cardboard in the world. This is the remarkable trend guaranteed by the European wood industry.