Forest tech body releases stump-fungi manual

Tree stumps sound like a cleanup problem. But in poplar plantations, they’re really a regrowth problem — cut the trees, and the stumps can keep sending up new shoots. That usually pushes land managers toward digging, grinding, or chemicals. Now the Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia, or CTFC, has put out a practical manual for doing something different: inoculating stumps with wood-decaying fungi so the stump dies and rots in place. ### What actually changed? The news is the manual itself. CTFC published it on May 2, 2026, under the title *Gestió sostenible del desarrelament biològic d’espècies forestals amb fongs descomponedors*, and local coverage on May 10 pushed it into wider view. The guide comes out of a demonstration project called DESCOMPFONGS and is meant for forest and land managers, not just researchers. (blog.ctfc.cat) ### Why are poplar stumps such a headache? Because cutting the tree doesn’t finish the job. Poplars are vigorous resprouters, so after timber harvest the stump can keep producing shoots. If the goal is to replant, restore riverbank habitat, or switch land use, that regrowth becomes extra labor and extra cost. That is why stump management matters so much in the first place. (blog.ctfc.cat) ### Why not just rip them out? That’s the standard move, but it comes with collateral damage. Mechanical uprooting disturbs soil structure. Chemical control can create risks for soils, aquifers, and nearby biodiversity. CTFC’s pitch is basically that fungi already know how to digest wood — so instead of forcing the stump out, you can let biology do the slow work with less disruption. (regio7.cat) ### So how does the fungi method work? The manual describes fungi as “drivers” of biological uprooting, but the idea is simpler than the phrase sounds. You inoculate the cut stump with decomposer fungi, and the fungal network starts breaking down the wood from the inside. Think of it less like demolition and more like composting a stubborn wooden plug that happens to still be alive. (blog.ctfc.cat) ### Has CTFC actually tested this? Yes — in experimental plots at Granja d’Escarp and Seròs, in the Segrià area of Lleida. CTFC says the manual explains both the method and the results from those plots. The broader fieldwork ties back to restoration work along the Segre river system, where biological stump treatment has been tested as part of replacing degraded poplar stands with riverbank trees. (blog.ctfc.cat) ### What did they see in the field? The big practical point is speed, or really the lack of it. The process is not instant. CTFC says stumps generally rot enough after around two years to be broken up with simple agricultural tools. During the first year, poplars can still resprout, so managers may need to cut those shoots back to help the treatment along. Dry years can also slow decomposition, and some fungal inoculations may need review or reapplication. (blog.ctfc.cat) ### Is there an upside beyond lower damage? A couple, actually. CTFC says new species can be planted between stump rows while decomposition continues, which matters if the goal is habitat restoration rather than waiting for a perfectly clean site. The project material also says treated stumps can produce edible mushrooms, which turns a control method into a possible side product. (regio7.cat) ### Who is paying for this push? The manual sits inside DESCOMPFONGS, and CTFC says the work is co-financed by the EU through intervention 7201 of the Common Agricultural Policy’s 2023–2027 strategic plan. That matters because it signals this is not just a one-off lab idea — it is being framed as a transferable land-management practice. (regio7.cat) The bottom line is that CTFC is trying to turn stump removal from an extraction problem into a decomposition problem. It is slower, and the catch is that biology works on biology’s timetable. But if the goal is less soil damage, fewer chemicals, and easier restoration after poplar harvest, that trade starts to look pretty reasonable. (blog.ctfc.cat)