Impact KPI-1: Sustainably increase the productivity of New Zealand forests

IO1 – Maximise the value and profitability of commercial forests and their ecosystem services

Impact KPI-1: Sustainably increase the productivity of New Zealand forests

By 2019, tools, novel forest management approaches and new plant material will be embedded into New Zealand’s forests and forestry practices to support the industry’s target to increase radiata pine Mean Annual Increment from an average of 20 m3 ha-1 yr-1 to 35 m3 ha-1 yr-1 and in a way that enhances the sustainability of forest growing in New Zealand.

Leading indicator	Progress
By 2016, Scion will have quantified the gap between current productivity and potential productivity that could be achieved if key limiting factors could be overcome. This will be informing industry strategies to sustainably improve productivity, including breeding for growth and quality.	The process-based model CABALA now has parameters for radiata pine in New Zealand. The initial calibration/validation process for CABALA provided new insights into productivity limitations at case study sites and identified productivity levers to increase productivity. Factors limiting productivity included nitrogen availability and soil water holding capacity. Analysis of existing radiata trials revealed a real (not simulated) productivity gap for radiata pine that can be exploited. Development of a nationwide productivity map in 2015-16 is on track with the initial results to be presented to New Zealand Forest Owners Association in October 2015.
A phenotyping platform has been used to identify outstanding individual trees for at least one key trait with superior germplasm and is being deployed by 2016.	Early evidence for the phenotyping platform at industry scale, is promising. LiDAR may be used for inventory and/or understanding forest resource characteristics. A genetic trial is underway to match remotely sensed individual tree data with ground-based individual tree phenotyping data. First steps in developing the GCFF phenotyping platform were demonstrated at the GCFF annual conference in March 2015.
By 2016, at least two new biotech trees are evaluated for traits (e.g. productivity and herbicide resistance) and reported to stakeholders.	A contained field trial of biotech trees with modified lignin was established in March 2014. The modification will reduce the energy cost of processing for pulp or biofuels production. Herbicide resistant plants underwent final growth measurements; this trial is due to end in 2015 in line with EPA’s approval conditions.
By 2018, Scion will have developed a systems model of the current forest products value chain to determine where to intervene in order to maximise benefits from the existing forest resource. This will have created better connectivity between growers and processors, and better connectivity between small-scale forest growers.	Several value chain systems models are being assessed. Detailed processed based discrete event simulation tools have been developed to assist industry with logistics planning and capacity utilisation challenges. A more aggregated tool helps researchers to identify inconsistencies across the supply chain.
By 2019, at least two major forest growers have changed their management practices and are applying new treatments designed to increase productivity of mid-rotation stands.	Industry cluster group meetings revealed gaps and opportunities for new treatments. Workshops with a soils focus were put in place to address this gap and will be completed in September 2015. Trials were planned to screen a range of treatments to improve forest nutrition, stimulate site processes, boost crop health and reduce site losses using new techniques; trials will be implemented from September 2015 focusing on assessments of risk and cost effectiveness.
On-going: the Forestry Library, Permanent Sample Plots (National Forest Tree Database), and Tree Genetic Archives remain viable and provide valuable information about the national forestry position for New Zealand.	Data from the Permanent Sample Plots supported at least five publications and were used to identify opportunities at specific forests to change silvicultural regimen to maximise productivity.