Farm Forestry New ZealandDecember, 2015
Updating you with the latest research from the GCFF programme
Identifying where our planted forests are underperforming, the establishment of a new field trials to test the legacy effects of nursery management and the establishment of an automated system to assess wood quality are the topics in the November 2015 GCFF newsletter.
The latest newsletter (Issue 4) from the Growing Confidence in Forestry’s Future (GCFF) Research Programme includes:
- A summary of work done to examine where in New Zealand radiata pine plantations are growing below their potential; this has indicated that many forests in the Hawke’s Bay region in particular are not as productive as they should be.
- A report on the establishment of a new series of trials to further examine how the treatment of seedlings in the nursery affects field performance, which builds on from past work that suggests significant gains can be made.
- A description of the “DiscBot” Scion has developed which vastly increases the range and rate at which assessments of wood quality can be made, using a selection of sensors to provide information on wood density, microfibril angle and spiral grain.
- A summary of the various events the GCFF programme has supported, including engagement with sector stakeholders, regional councils and central government on a range of issues.
The newsletter also outlines progress on a number of other topics, and more detail describing the results from the GCFF programme provided at the recent 2015 Forest Growers Research Conference.
Website link
http://gcff.nz/publications/
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