Protecting Australia's pine plantations from exotic pests and climate change. This project will protect pine plantations (representing 57% of Australia's $3.3 billion pa forestry industry) from the dual threat of exotic pests and climate change. Sirex wood wasp has been well controlled until the recent, unprecedented, increase of ips bark beetles. The ips beetle is now disrupting biological control of sirex by its feeding activity so work is required to understand and combat this effect. The wor ....Protecting Australia's pine plantations from exotic pests and climate change. This project will protect pine plantations (representing 57% of Australia's $3.3 billion pa forestry industry) from the dual threat of exotic pests and climate change. Sirex wood wasp has been well controlled until the recent, unprecedented, increase of ips bark beetles. The ips beetle is now disrupting biological control of sirex by its feeding activity so work is required to understand and combat this effect. The work is made more urgent by looming climate change because storm-damage, drought and heat stressed trees are especially vulnerable to sirex attack. It is estimated that this novel pest management approach could save the industry at least $188 million pa based on a conservative estimate of reducing losses by 10%.Read moreRead less
Hoop pine nitrogen and water use efficiency: improving the understanding and management with advanced stable isotope, physiological and molecular techniques. This project represents the first attempt to integrate the use of innovative stable isotope, physiological and molecular techniques for improving the understanding and management of genetic and environmental factors regulating hoop pine nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and water use efficiency (WUE). The successful conduct of the project will ....Hoop pine nitrogen and water use efficiency: improving the understanding and management with advanced stable isotope, physiological and molecular techniques. This project represents the first attempt to integrate the use of innovative stable isotope, physiological and molecular techniques for improving the understanding and management of genetic and environmental factors regulating hoop pine nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and water use efficiency (WUE). The successful conduct of the project will result in improved stable isotope, physiological and molecular techniques for NUE and WUE studies; improved understanding and management of hoop pine NUE and WUE for enhancing plantation productivity; and successful training of a high-calibre postgraduate student and sustaining a pool of world-class researchers to meet the needs of Australian forest industry.Read moreRead less
Linking environmental stress in pine plantations to bark stripping by browsers and fungal attack: developing novel options for management. The Australian forest industry, under the pressure of certification requirements, is moving towards a more integrated, reduced chemical, environmentally sustainable approach to protecting forest. Novel insights into the stress biology of pine will provide valuable information that will underpin efforts to reduce risk e.g. the matching of specific genotypes to ....Linking environmental stress in pine plantations to bark stripping by browsers and fungal attack: developing novel options for management. The Australian forest industry, under the pressure of certification requirements, is moving towards a more integrated, reduced chemical, environmentally sustainable approach to protecting forest. Novel insights into the stress biology of pine will provide valuable information that will underpin efforts to reduce risk e.g. the matching of specific genotypes to site so that pest resistance can be maintained even under environmental stress conditions. By understanding the 'attraction' factor of stressed pine to wallabies we will develop and test an urgently and nationally required diversionary feed for this browser. Lethal control involving poison is becoming increasingly restricted.Read moreRead less
Improved growth of Pinus radiata through better modelling and management of photosynthesis and respiration. This research will use recently developed technologies to deliver the first comprehensive analysis of the effects of thinning and fertilizer on distribution of photosynthetically active proteins and nitrogenous metabolites in P. radiata. We seek to develop mechanistic and empirical understandings of photosynthesis, respiration, water use and growth and thus better model and predict effec ....Improved growth of Pinus radiata through better modelling and management of photosynthesis and respiration. This research will use recently developed technologies to deliver the first comprehensive analysis of the effects of thinning and fertilizer on distribution of photosynthetically active proteins and nitrogenous metabolites in P. radiata. We seek to develop mechanistic and empirical understandings of photosynthesis, respiration, water use and growth and thus better model and predict effects of management actions on yield of commercial softwood plantations. We will also apply similarly new but complementary and compatible technologies to assess photosynthesis, water use and respiration characteristics of a range of P. radiata genotypes of known growth potential. Our aim here is to develop new tools to help selection of high-yielding genotypes. The data collected will again be used to inform our development of a new growth model where the 'driver' of growth is respiration and where hydraulic architecture and soil water balance limits photosynthesis and water use.
Read moreRead less
Linking plant genetics and chemistry to maximise tree production in the softwood industry. This project aims to test a ‘gene to plantation’ approach for the management of pests in softwood forestry. The project aims to focus on the stripping of bark from Pinus radiata trees by mammals: a major threat to tree productivity in many regions of Australia and an economic burden for forestry companies. The project aims to use a wide complement of P. radiata germplasm to link genetics, bark defensive ch ....Linking plant genetics and chemistry to maximise tree production in the softwood industry. This project aims to test a ‘gene to plantation’ approach for the management of pests in softwood forestry. The project aims to focus on the stripping of bark from Pinus radiata trees by mammals: a major threat to tree productivity in many regions of Australia and an economic burden for forestry companies. The project aims to use a wide complement of P. radiata germplasm to link genetics, bark defensive chemistry and susceptibility to damage. It aims to identify genotypes with increased resistance, unravel defensive tree traits, screen for genetic markers and identify specific gene regions correlated with trait variation, and examine cross-correlations with other major tree productivity traits.Read moreRead less
The Biology, Ecology, Pathology and Control of Mycosphaerella Leaf Blights in Australian Eucalypt Plantations. Leaf spot diseases, caused by Mycosphaerella, have become widespread in over 150,000 ha of Eucalyptus globulus (blue gum) plantations in Western Australia, causing severe reduction in canopy area of young trees. This project will research the epidemiology of these diseases by studying the life cycles of the key pathogenic Mycosphaerella species identified in a previous project, modes an ....The Biology, Ecology, Pathology and Control of Mycosphaerella Leaf Blights in Australian Eucalypt Plantations. Leaf spot diseases, caused by Mycosphaerella, have become widespread in over 150,000 ha of Eucalyptus globulus (blue gum) plantations in Western Australia, causing severe reduction in canopy area of young trees. This project will research the epidemiology of these diseases by studying the life cycles of the key pathogenic Mycosphaerella species identified in a previous project, modes and timing of spore dispersal, the infection process, and host specificity. The economic impact of leaf spot diseases will be assessed from large exclusion trials. A predictive integrated management package for Mycosphaerella foliar diseases will be formulated and evaluated to minimising disease impact.Read moreRead less
The cause of basal stem rot in second rotation Eucalyptus globulus plantations. The Eucalyptus globulus plantation industry consists of over 300000 ha in Australia and is worth 1 billion dollars. The industry has expanded rapidly since the mid 1980's and now many crops are in their second rotation. Recently, poor coppice growth in second rotation crops as a result of fungal basal rot or decay, has started to become a significant management problem to the industry. This project will determine th ....The cause of basal stem rot in second rotation Eucalyptus globulus plantations. The Eucalyptus globulus plantation industry consists of over 300000 ha in Australia and is worth 1 billion dollars. The industry has expanded rapidly since the mid 1980's and now many crops are in their second rotation. Recently, poor coppice growth in second rotation crops as a result of fungal basal rot or decay, has started to become a significant management problem to the industry. This project will determine the cause(s) of basal stem rot/decay and develop management strategies to reduce the impact of the problem.Read moreRead less
Pathogenicity of Mycosphaerella on Eucalyptus globulus plantations in Western Australia. Eucalyptus globulus is the main hardwood species grown in plantations in Western Australia. In recent years, the incidence of foliar damage caused by leaf spot fungi in the genus Mycosphaerella has started to become a worrying management problem for the industry. There are approximately 12 Mycosphaerella species associated with Eucalyptus globulus in Western Australia. This project will determine which are t ....Pathogenicity of Mycosphaerella on Eucalyptus globulus plantations in Western Australia. Eucalyptus globulus is the main hardwood species grown in plantations in Western Australia. In recent years, the incidence of foliar damage caused by leaf spot fungi in the genus Mycosphaerella has started to become a worrying management problem for the industry. There are approximately 12 Mycosphaerella species associated with Eucalyptus globulus in Western Australia. This project will determine which are the priority destructive Mycosphaerella species. The information gained will allow researchers to select and breed eucalypts for resistance of target Mycosphaerella species in the future. The project will also develop methods for rapid pathogenicity screening.Read moreRead less
Quantitative genetic control of economic traits in Eucalyptus globulus. Eucalyptus globulus is the most important plantation eucalypt in Australia and a model for tree genetic research. The project aims to study the quantitative genetic architecture of this species, focusing on traits of economic significance, and provide new insights into: the relative importance of non-additive genetic effects, including maternal and reciprocal effects; the importance of indirect genetic effects, particularly ....Quantitative genetic control of economic traits in Eucalyptus globulus. Eucalyptus globulus is the most important plantation eucalypt in Australia and a model for tree genetic research. The project aims to study the quantitative genetic architecture of this species, focusing on traits of economic significance, and provide new insights into: the relative importance of non-additive genetic effects, including maternal and reciprocal effects; the importance of indirect genetic effects, particularly on the competitive interactions amongst trees; and the genetics of traits impacting the production of emerging plantation products such as veneer. This information is needed to improve genetic evaluation models and to better target germplasm to environments and products.Read moreRead less
Mixed species plantations: does diversity help tropical eucalypts grow faster, better, longer? To test the assumption that mixtures are better than monocultures, using data from experiments (QFRI) and community plantings. Growth rate, habit (form, branching), timber and soil characteristics in Eucalyptus pellita (Red Mahogany) plantings should elucidate whether mixtures:
1. grow (above-ground woody biomass) faster than pure plantings;
2. have straighter trees with smaller branches;
3. improve ....Mixed species plantations: does diversity help tropical eucalypts grow faster, better, longer? To test the assumption that mixtures are better than monocultures, using data from experiments (QFRI) and community plantings. Growth rate, habit (form, branching), timber and soil characteristics in Eucalyptus pellita (Red Mahogany) plantings should elucidate whether mixtures:
1. grow (above-ground woody biomass) faster than pure plantings;
2. have straighter trees with smaller branches;
3. improve soil fertility; and whether
4. differences are accentuated in subsequent rotations.
E. pellita has valuable dark-red timber, and is widely planted in north Queensland, despite variable performance (3-30 m3/ha/yr, average 10m3/ha/yr). Analyses will reveal opportunities for conservation outcomes and sustainable timber production.Read moreRead less