- Precision Silviculture Programme
The Precision Silviculture Programme (PSP) is a partnership between the Ministry for Primary Industries and the forest industry led by Forest Growers Research Ltd.
It is underpinned by a Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures (SFFF) Partnership Grant, of $25.5 million over seven years. The PSP aims to transform forest management practices by applying sensing technologies, mechanisation and automation across forest management operations. By doing so, the Programme aims to address labour shortages, the need to improve safety in all forestry operations, reduce forestry value chain costs, maintain a pruned log supply, enhance productivity, and maintain licence to operate through sustainable practices including reduced chemical inputs. It also supports the transition towards a bioeconomy through developing more effective methods for delivering biomass waste streams for conversion into bioenergy or other uses.
- Partners: MPI, Forest Growers Research, Forest Growers Levy Trust, 12 forest companies, and several forest nurseries and manufacturers.
- Programme start: 22 March 2022 and duration of 7 years.
- MPI funding over 7 years: $10,200,000.
- Industry funding over 7 years: $15,300,000.
Nursery: To deliver prototype units to overcome bottlenecks in tree nursery bare root and containerised production systems.
Planting: To deliver production-ready prototypes supporting mechanised planting, extending the planting season, and tools for increasing planting precision and reducing chemical use.
Pruning: To deliver prototype units that improve the safety and productivity of pruning operations in the forest while reducing costs.
Thinning: To develop equipment and techniques supporting cost effective mechanised thinning operations that reduce reliance on manual labour and create a safer working environment.
Data & Engagement: Maximise the opportunities from data collected through precision activities by implementing standards, good governance practices and unlocking the value of interconnected data. Engagement with Māori stakeholders to identify and co-design ways to maximise uptake of Programme outputs and learnings by Māori.
Explore the Precision Silviculture Programme workstreams:
Precision Silviculture Programme News
2025 Youth Micro Innovation Challenge. Supporting Forestry’s next generation of innovators – Be in to win $10,000
Calling all creative forestry students, graduates, and young workers! You are a powerhouse of fresh, game-changing ideas just waiting to be unleashed. We want to
IUFRO 1.01.04 Tree Establishment and Early Growth Dynamics Conference being held in Rotorua 17-20 March 2025.
Scion will be hosting the IUFRO – International Union of Forest Research Organisations 1.01.04 conference in March this year titled, Achieving Forest establishment success at
How can AI assist in Pathogen Detection?
The FGR Precision Silviculture Programme is always looking at how to utilise digital technologies to improve outcomes and the Nursery workstream is no different. FGR
Related searchable documents and reports
| Title | Date | Report Number | Author | Link | hf:doc_categories |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanised planting in the Top of the South region with the M-Planter – Phase 1 report | April 24, 2025 | PSP-T032 | Mitch White – Aspect Contracting and Forestry | precision-silviculture-programme-public | |
| Operational Review of Mechanised Thinning Operations | April 14, 2025 | PSP-T031 | Tim Petro | precision-silviculture-programme-public | |
| Thinning to Waste Injuries: Analysis of IRIS data 2019 – 2023 | April 8, 2025 | PSP-T030 | Brionny Hooper, Christine Dodunski, Richard Parker, Scion | precision-silviculture-programme-public | |
| PlantMax Mechanical Planter: First year assessment of planting stock performance – May 2024 | April 8, 2025 | PSP-T029 | Carol Rolando, Christine Todoroki, John Henry | precision-silviculture-programme-public | |
| Technology Adoption Human Factors: Operational Lessons Learned M-Planter | February 19, 2025 | PSP-T028 | Brionny Hooper & Richard Parker (Scion) | precision-silviculture-programme-public | |
| Mechanical Planting Options in New Zealand: PlantmaX | February 17, 2025 | PSP-TN004 | C Rolando (Scion), J Palmer (Forme Consulting), S Wright (Pan Pac Forest Products), Z Chen (Forme Consulting) | precision-silviculture-programme-public | |
| Silviculture Micro_Innovation Challenge : High Stump Manual Thinning | November 28, 2024 | PSP-TN003 | Tim Petro | precision-silviculture-programme-public | |
| Viability of Trichoderma Conidia in Nanocellulose Hydrogel | October 31, 2024 | PSP-T025 | Dr Helen Whelan | precision-silviculture-programme-public | |
| Individual Tree Data Value Project – Phase 2 | October 1, 2024 | PSP-T024 | J Palmer, Z Chen – Forme Consulting Group | precision-silviculture-programme-public | |
| Extended planting season trial using hydrogels : Rayonier Matariki Maramarua Forest – Final Report June 2023 | October 1, 2024 | PSP-T023 | C Rolando (Scion), E Vili, K Fleet, K Yallop (Rayonier Matariki Forests), R Schoonderwoerd | precision-silviculture-programme-public | |
| Current Practices & Challenges in NZ Thinning Operations: Results of a Survey and Workshop in 2023 | October 1, 2024 | PSP-T022 | L Holt & Y Dickinson (Scion) | precision-silviculture-programme-public | |
| Review of fertiliser and nutrient enhancers applied in nursery or at planting (April 2024) | October 1, 2024 | PSP-T021 | Steven Dovey (Scion) | precision-silviculture-programme-public | |
| GOVOR Forest Nursery Trial & Evaluation May 2024 (FGR372) | October 1, 2024 | PSP-T020 | Jacob Kelley – Tui Technologies | precision-silviculture-programme-public | |
| PSP Pruning Injury Report- Analysis IRIS Data 2018-2022 (December 2023) | October 1, 2024 | PSP-T019 | Brionny Hooper, Christine Dodunski (Scion), Richard Parker | precision-silviculture-programme-public | |
| Review of Planting Stock Quality & Performance – Feb 2024 | October 1, 2024 | PSP-TR005 | Jacqui Aimers | precision-silviculture-programme-public | |
| UAV Release Spraying – Results from operational UAV trials | October 1, 2024 | PSP-TN002 | D De Silva, J Henry, J Nairn, P Massam, R Hartley, W Yorston (Scion) | precision-silviculture-programme-public | |
| UAV Survival Assessments Report : RGB Ortho-plotting | April 24, 2024 | PSP-T014 | J Emmens, R Hartley (Scion) | precision-silviculture-programme-public | |
| UAV Survival Assessments : SOP Series – Best Practice Guidelines for UAV Forest Operations | April 24, 2024 | PSP-T015 | Jacob Emmens (as part of TFF UAV Survival Assessments project) | precision-silviculture-programme-public | |
| UAV Survival Assessments : SOP Series – Best Practice Guidelines for UAV Forest Operations | April 24, 2024 | PSP-T016 | Whanarau Edmonds (as part of TFF UAV Survival Assessments project) | precision-silviculture-programme-public | |
| UAV Survival Assessments Report : the value of wall-to-wall site capture | April 24, 2024 | PSP-T017 | Whanarau Edmonds and Robin Hartley | precision-silviculture-programme-public | |
| UAV Survival Assessments Report Enhancing Survival Surveys : Multispectral vs RGB UAV Imaging | April 24, 2024 | PSP-T018 | Blake Singleton, Robin Hartley, Sam Davidson | precision-silviculture-programme-public | |
| Hydrogel Trials Nanocellulose Hydrogels & Soil Water Retention Feb2024 | March 18, 2024 | PSP-TN001 | Don White & Carol Rolando, Jen Owens | precision-silviculture-programme-public | |
| Battery Powered Chainsaws in Waste Thinning | December 19, 2023 | PSP-T012 | Rob Prebble Consulting & Scion Rotorua/Christchurch | precision-silviculture-programme-public | |
| Economic review of the M-Planter in New Zealand | September 27, 2023 | PSP-T008 | Various | precision-silviculture-programme-public | |
| Seeding selection using computer vision | July 10, 2023 | PSP-T009 | Dr Brian Russell | precision-silviculture-programme-public | |
| Final Report : Investigation of extending the planting season into late March using hydrogels and growth promoters – Final Report 12 months | June 28, 2023 | PSP-T007 | ALloyd, G Coker, J Moore, KFleet, Project Team : C Ford, S Hill, S Smaill, T Stovold | precision-silviculture-programme-public | |
| Investigation of extending the planting season into late March using hydrogels and growth promoters | May 5, 2023 | PSP-T001 | A Lloyd, C Ford, G Coker, K Fleet, S Hill & J Moore (Timberlands), S Smaill, T Stovold | precision-silviculture-programme-public | |
| Economics of Pruning Radiata Report Dec 2022 | May 2, 2023 | PSP-T005 | Ngahere Resources Ltd | precision-silviculture-programme-public | |
| Time and Motion Study of Battery Powered Pruning Devices in Lake Taupo Forest – Final Report | March 14, 2023 | PSP-T004 | J Palmer & Z Chen | precision-silviculture-programme-public | |
| Economics of pruning radiata | November 29, 2022 | PSP-T002 | G Buchanan, Ngahere Resources Ltd | precision-silviculture-programme-public | |
| Manual and Mechanised Pruning Technologies: A review of the literature | October 28, 2022 | PSP-TR001 | Fergus Rural, Tim Petro | precision-silviculture-programme-public | |
| Mechanised Thin to Waste and Production Thinning Technologies: an International and Domestic Review | October 28, 2022 | PSP-TR002 | Awdon Technologies, Don Scott | precision-silviculture-programme-public | |
| Precision Planting Technology Scan | October 28, 2022 | PSP-TR003 | Fergus Rural, Tim Petro | precision-silviculture-programme-public | |
| Modern nursery technology for containerised and bare rooted production systems | October 28, 2022 | PSP-TR004 | A Lloyd, and G Coker – Scion, B Nanayakkara, C Ford, S Klinger | precision-silviculture-programme-public |
