Scion researchers have developed a means of commercially propagating some of New Zealand’s most iconic native trees including rimu and totara from cuttings rather than from seed sources, enabling greater numbers to be grown, with Ngati Whare’s Minginui nursery being the first to scale it up.
Russell Burton, Scion’s general manager for research and investments, said the research Scion has done proves there is commercial viability for native seedling propagation.
He said using cuttings rather than seedlings to propagate helps avoid the challenge of sourcing enough seeds from forests.
The natural variation in seed quantities in native forests is significant.
One year in seven is a mast year when seed levels are very high but they are variable in other years. Whirinaki forest has proved an ideal source for propagation cuttings, given the maturity, health and variety of the trees there.
Burton said a focus on indigenous trees does not signal a move away from pine but opens up the opportunity for other sustainable, high-value timber sources.
“The question is what forestry will look like in NZ. The trees produced at Ngati Whare’s nursery will be destined for riparian plantings by farmers and water protection, for erosion control on private land and to encourage landowners to explore forestry options.”
Scion research shows it is possible to grow native trees including totara on a 50-60 year cycle.
“The research we have done shows there is a viable commercial opportunity. There is a small woodlot model followed in Europe that demonstrates that.
“It’s just that we have adopted the plantation model in this country and gone from mining native trees as if there were an unlimited resource to ring fencing them for protection.
“The question is what will our forests look like in the future?”
