New research project has potential for major economic benefits in plantations and timber industry

31/5/02
A research partnership between Western Australia and Canada for improvement of pines could have major economic benefits for plantations and the timber industry in WA.
The Forest Products Commission's worldwide reputation as a leader in improving the genetics of radiata pine, has resulted in a Canadian forest biotechnology company selecting WA to test its leading edge tissue culture technology.
Forestry Minister Kim Chance said being at the forefront of this technology had the potential to greatly improve the profitability and productivity of plantations.
"This is a long-term sustainable industry which provides regional employment, financial return to the community and major environmental benefits," he said.
"Until the development of this technology, which involves a sophisticated propagation and freezing process, clonal forestry has not been an option for pines.
"This major breakthrough opens new opportunities for radiata pine plantations.
"By this technique we aim to produce huge quantities of elite plants that deliver tree growth far exceeding that of any traditional approaches.
"For end users, producers of sawn timber and panels, that will mean a greater supply of wood with more desirable characteristics like straight grain, consistent size, increased wood fibre and superior overall quality.
"This is vitally important science as WA's gene pool of radiata is rapidly maturing, we have competing demands on land so we need to improve yields and demand for pine is growing."
Forest Products Commission general manager Dr Paul Biggs said the technique advanced by CellFor in Canada, called somatic embryogenesis, signifies the potential to cryo-preserve the dieback resistant, drought tolerant and high wood density clonal lines perfect for WA conditions which the FPC has developed.
"Cryo-preserved tissues can be regenerated to produce millions of embryos. This allows for on-demand, mass production of uniform seedlings of selected individuals with the most desirable traits for particular conditions," Dr Biggs said.
"Over the next week, 35,000 tiny germinants will be taken from their sterile, 100 per cent humidity encasements where they have been fed on a media of sugar and nutrients to start the process of hardening at the FPC's Seed Technologies Centre in Como.
"Next year the trial plantings will be established at Jarrahwood near Busselton."
Dr Biggs said negotiations had started for CellFor to take the Commission's cultivated lines at the multi-cell callus stage for further development before returning them as artificial seeds in gel form.
"At the Commission's nursery in Manjimup sophisticated machinery is available to automatically separate and suction the plant embryos through a needle and plant them straight out into trays," he said.
"This is a faster and more cost efficient method than is being used for this batch of germinants which are being individually planted using tweezers."
Minister's office: 9213 6700