Non-durable eucalypts (Eucalyptus fastigata, E. nitens and E. regnans) are grown at scale in the central North Island and the southern South Island, and chipped for pulp.

SWP research was dominated by work on Eucalyptus nitens as SWP partner Southwood Exports Ltd. is a major grower in Southland.

  • improving the solid wood properties of E. nitens by breeding gains
  • turnover of E. fastigata breeding population; improving selection procedures for stiffness parameters
  • developing and testing engineered wood products (e.g. Oriented Engineered Lumber – OEL TM)
  • testing thermal modification as a way of enhancing E. nitens durability

Key achievements included:

  • establishing two new E. nitens seed orchards based on enhanced solid-wood properties;
  • making new E. fastigata selections incorporating wood stiffness
  • testing E. nitens optimised engineered lumber (OELTM) – a product which is now industry ready
  • testing E. fastigata veneer for stiffness with positive results; successfully testing glues for LVL production. LVL producers can now move towards incorporating E. fastigata into standard radiata products with confidence
  • testing novel E. nitens and densified E. nitens flooring products with good results – these products have been taken up by industry
  • successfully using near-infra-red spectroscopy (NIR) models to predict E. nitens wood shrinkage and cellulose content. The technique was used to incorporate these wood quality parameters into the breeding programme
  • completing pre-release work and releasing a new biological control agent for Paropsis charybdis (eucalypt tortoise beetle) – an economically damaging eucalypt pest. The biological control agent was released in 2022, so it will take some time to know how effective it is.

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