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
Pest Status and Management of a Creiss psyllid in Eucalyptus plantations. Research studies are required on the ecology and epidemiology of a Creiis psyllid, recently found causing significant damage in young Eucalyptus dunnii plantations. The susceptibility to psyllid damage to a range of selected clonal types will be examined. With increasing community concerns associated with insecticide usage and to reduce costs, exploitation of natural resistance is an avenue that counters economic threat f ....Pest Status and Management of a Creiss psyllid in Eucalyptus plantations. Research studies are required on the ecology and epidemiology of a Creiis psyllid, recently found causing significant damage in young Eucalyptus dunnii plantations. The susceptibility to psyllid damage to a range of selected clonal types will be examined. With increasing community concerns associated with insecticide usage and to reduce costs, exploitation of natural resistance is an avenue that counters economic threat from herbivorous insects. Since Australia is currently planting 100,000 ha of eucalypts per year results from this project are essential to build better management strategies for reduce the impact of this and all pests on tree survival and growth.Read moreRead less
Maximising the essential oil yield of blue mallee plantations. Felton, Grimwade and Bickford Pty Ltd will collaborate with us to develop plant material and methods for establishing profitable plantations of blue mallee (Eucalyptus polybractea) for eucalyptus oil production. This is important because, as a result of recent legislation, the forest patches currently used in oil production will soon be unavailable to the company. We will also investigate the physiological and biochemical mechanism ....Maximising the essential oil yield of blue mallee plantations. Felton, Grimwade and Bickford Pty Ltd will collaborate with us to develop plant material and methods for establishing profitable plantations of blue mallee (Eucalyptus polybractea) for eucalyptus oil production. This is important because, as a result of recent legislation, the forest patches currently used in oil production will soon be unavailable to the company. We will also investigate the physiological and biochemical mechanisms underlying oil quality and quantity in blue mallee. This knowledge will assist the industry in the longer term by allowing them to improve and modify their products in response to changes in market demands.Read moreRead less
Enhancing the essential oil yield of clonal blue mallee plantations. Production of high quality eucalyptus oil in Victoria involves sustainable harvesting of foliage from public land. A recent review of land use by the Victorian Government has required that, over the next few years, oil producers move their harvesting operations into plantations on private land. This project will assist producers by developing methods for establishing plantations of eucalypts (blue mallee) with very high and e ....Enhancing the essential oil yield of clonal blue mallee plantations. Production of high quality eucalyptus oil in Victoria involves sustainable harvesting of foliage from public land. A recent review of land use by the Victorian Government has required that, over the next few years, oil producers move their harvesting operations into plantations on private land. This project will assist producers by developing methods for establishing plantations of eucalypts (blue mallee) with very high and economically viable yields of eucalyptus oil. This research will help restore Victoria's position as one of the major producers of high quality eucalyptus oil. Read moreRead less
Environmental and genetic control over blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon) timber colour, density, and recovery. The project will investigate the roles of environment and genetics in the expression of wood characteristics in blackwood. It will determine the potential heritability of valuable blackwood wood traits and provide a sound understanding of the basis of colour expression. Heartwood characteristics, particularly colour, density, ring width and knottiness determine the commercial value of blac ....Environmental and genetic control over blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon) timber colour, density, and recovery. The project will investigate the roles of environment and genetics in the expression of wood characteristics in blackwood. It will determine the potential heritability of valuable blackwood wood traits and provide a sound understanding of the basis of colour expression. Heartwood characteristics, particularly colour, density, ring width and knottiness determine the commercial value of blackwood. The limited research on these characteristics, all undertaken outside Australia, points to combined genetic and environmental control. By understanding the relative importance that environmental conditions and genetic material have in producing desirable wood traits, growers will be better able to realise the full commercial value of blackwood.Read moreRead less
Wood quality improvement for spotted gum. Eucalypts are one of the world's top sources of hardwood saw and pulp logs. This project will provide a model for accelerated tree improvement for wood quality. The aim is to link genes for wood formation with wood quality phenotypes in spotted gum, a priority hardwood eucalypt for Northern Australia. The significance of the approach is time and costs saved in the deployment of plantations of higher wood quality through the circumvention of delays to gen ....Wood quality improvement for spotted gum. Eucalypts are one of the world's top sources of hardwood saw and pulp logs. This project will provide a model for accelerated tree improvement for wood quality. The aim is to link genes for wood formation with wood quality phenotypes in spotted gum, a priority hardwood eucalypt for Northern Australia. The significance of the approach is time and costs saved in the deployment of plantations of higher wood quality through the circumvention of delays to generate populations required for alternative approaches and early selection available with molecular breeding.Read moreRead less
Potential of Corymbia torelliana hybrids for hardwood forestry and investigation of their seed dispersal by Trigona bees. Cadaghi (Corymbia torelliana) and their hybrids with spotted gums (C. variegata complex) have enormous potential for plantation forestry. These hybrids have many excellent features that make them exciting as hardwood species, such as resistence to disease, tolerance of marginal environments, good wood properties, and fast growth rates. This project will create hybrids between ....Potential of Corymbia torelliana hybrids for hardwood forestry and investigation of their seed dispersal by Trigona bees. Cadaghi (Corymbia torelliana) and their hybrids with spotted gums (C. variegata complex) have enormous potential for plantation forestry. These hybrids have many excellent features that make them exciting as hardwood species, such as resistence to disease, tolerance of marginal environments, good wood properties, and fast growth rates. This project will create hybrids between Corymbia torelliana and spotted gums to identify hybrids which are suitable for sustainable wood production on marginal agricultural lands.
An unusual feature of Cadaghi is that native Trigona bees disperse their seeds. This project will investigate this unique seed dispersal mechanism and identify features of hybrids that are not attractive to bees. This will prevent environmental problems by preventing hybrids from dispersing seeds, becoming weedy and harming the Trigona bees.
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Profitable plantations of blue mallee for essential oil production. This project will develop the methods and knowledge required for establishing plantations of eucalypts (blue mallee) with very high and economically viable yields of eucalyptus oil. It is expected that the research will underpin an expansion of the essential oil industry both in Victoria and elsewhere in Australia.
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.
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Industrial Transformation Training Centres - Grant ID: IC150100004
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,630,239.00
Summary
ARC Training Centre for Forest Value. ARC Training Centre for Forest Value. This training centre aims to build capacity to transform the Australian forest products sector by providing advanced training and research. In particular, it aims to train a workforce capable of improving resource utilisation and creating value at all stages along the forest-to-building supply chain. This should allow the sector to exploit emerging markets in the use of renewable materials. The centre’s partners range fr ....ARC Training Centre for Forest Value. ARC Training Centre for Forest Value. This training centre aims to build capacity to transform the Australian forest products sector by providing advanced training and research. In particular, it aims to train a workforce capable of improving resource utilisation and creating value at all stages along the forest-to-building supply chain. This should allow the sector to exploit emerging markets in the use of renewable materials. The centre’s partners range from forest managers to architects and engineers, to ensure a flow of information from forest to design and manufacture. The centre’s research, and the industry-ready graduates produced, should increase industry productivity, profitability and sustainability, and enable increased returns from Australia’s forests.Read moreRead less