72 | Technology improves tree quality from page 71 Part of the R&D programme is investigating the potential of other species. John Moore (Timberlands) is standing next to a two-year-old Eucalyptus tree in a research trial. Dr Moore says that in recent times forestry has become relatively high-tech and Timberlands’ approach is to integrate biology with technology and economics. “We deal with a biological entity in a forest but we also bring a lot of technology to help understand that and of course we’re a business so everything we do has an economic overlay to it. “The industry has better techniques now to measure wood properties and new breeding technologies. Scion, the Crown Research Institute, sequenced the pine genome, which is one of the largest genomes ever sequenced — much bigger than the human genome. “By doing that you can start getting more precise with your tree breeding and get not only better growth but better wood properties, where sometimes in the past you have sacrificed one to gain the other. If we can improve the quality of the resource in the forest that gives it a better starting point for anything it is used for downstream.” A big focus for Timberlands’ R&D team is trying to improve the biological productivity in the forest. As a species, radiata pine is naturally very productive but Timberlands believes the species has a lot more to offer through science. “We’re focused on three areas. One is through our genetics and tree improvement programme and that’s about breeding a tree that will grow faster with better wood properties. “Also we think that precision nutrition is a really big opportunity. We’ve seen examples where forests are growing on sites with greater nutrient capital and the growth rates are spectacular. And so we think if we can get things right we could do that on our estate as well.” Silviculture is to forestry what agronomy is to agriculture and Dr Moore says there is a lot of opportunity in putting the right genetics in the right site, the timing of the operation and working out how many trees to grow per hectare. “If we can get all of that right I think there are some pretty significant gains to be had. If we put all those things together we think we have the potential to double the rate of biological activity in our estate, which is a pretty challenging goal, but a good one to have.” FORESTRY Timberlands
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