Fuelwood and sandalwood silviculture in eastern Indonesia

• Agency for Forest Research and Development, Indonesia

Indonesia's priorities for developing the drier regions in her eastern islands include 'introduction of adapted Australian multipurpose tree species to overcome fuelwood and timber shortages due to deforestation and burning; and assistance with the silviculture of sandalwood'. Sandalwood oil and its by-products have provided the region's second-largest export income (after coffee), earning US$500,000 in 1985, and have an assured market. However, the species itself, although native to Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT), and the industry are in serious decline here, for reasons including over-exploitation, poor silvicultural practices and severe regeneration problems.

This project has four main aims: to assemble germplasm of a range of Indonesian and exotic tree species to meet NTT requirements for fuelwood and/or forage; to test their adaptability and growth on a range of soils in the seasonally dry regions; to improve the research capabilities in NTT; and to help Indonesia to obtain the silvicultural information needed to revitalise the local sandalwood industry.

The fuelwood component will identify a range of species for use there, including those native trees not yet adequately tested in cultivation. Following seed collection, the team will test nursery propagation techniques and carry out field experiments, then analyse and interpret the results. They expect to find most of the species with high potential within three genera - Eucalyptus, Acacia and Casuarina - using local knowledge, comparable trials in other countries (such as Thailand) and literature survey. As well as the species native to the region, many others grow under similar climatic conditions in northern Australia, among them members of additional genera such as Terminalia and Pterocarpus, with potential for higher-quality timber. Very little systematic research of this kind has been carried out in eastern Indonesia.

At the request of the Indonesian Agency, the scientists will give special attention to sandalwood (Santalum spp.), working concurrently in both countries. They will seek the optimum method of sandalwood establishment, study flowering and seed production and delineate suitable seed-production areas. They will explore possible genetic improvement in both productivity and oil content and thus, because sandalwood also occurs in India and some Pacific islands, conduct provenance trials.

Western Australian Department staff will establish trial plots to compare local fuelwood species with a number of exotics, initially at Kupang and Soe to allow close supervision and control, but later expansion may extend these trials to other areas. Their success is vital for the Timor foresters, who need to overcome years of discouragement. As one important aspect, the Department will establish a small 'model' nursery at Kupang to develop appropriate methods for raising plants of various species. For the lesser-known ones, this will involve basic experiments, providing valuable training for NTT forestry staff. Close supervision at critical times will ensure the necessary plants are available for the trials. Development of reliable propagation techniques for sandalwood is particularly important.

In collaboration with colleagues from Curtin University, Departmental scientists will develop nursery techniques for raising S. album seedlings, comparing direct seeding with host seedlings plus fertiliser and also a range of hosts with sandalwood seedlings. In another collaboration, scientists at Curtin will analyse the oil contents of sample sandalwood trees of different size and age from various sites to determine the effects of tree age and rate of growth. This will allow them to estimate variation in oil content and, therefore, the scope for tree selection to improve it.

As well, the university team will conduct phenological studies of flowering in Santalum album under natural conditions in Timor, to establish variations in flowering time and the proportion of the seed crop maturing at different seasons in high- and low-altitude zones.

Research staff of AFRD at Kupang will try to locate high-quality stands of S. album for reservation as a long-term seed source. They will also check monthly variation in viability of seed (all collected in April 1987) stored at ambient and refrigerator temperatures.

Teams from all three organisations will combine to evaluate the cultural requirements of S. album, including shade needs (at Curtin) and later host requirements and the effects of soil type and fertiliser on establishment and growth (at Kununurra and Kupang). Other joint studies will compare a range of sandalwood seed treatments and a range of initial host species for establishment by direct seeding. Their replication at different locations will allow comparison of results under different conditions.

The CSIRO Australian Tree Seed Centre will help assemble the seed required for the various research components.

The project will also assist 'Savana', the Kupang forest research station's publication in Bahasa Indonesia/English, which will provide local dissemination of results.

Indonesia will gain enhanced skills in germplasm collection and evaluation as well as improvements in fuelwood/forage supplies and sandalwood productivity. Other seasonally dry countries in the region with an interest in sandalwood cultivation include Fiji, New Caledonia, Samoa, Vanuatu and Australia. Western Australia's sandalwood industry, based on S. spicatum, already exports about 1600 tonnes of sandalwood annually (worth about $10 million). Much of the research will have direct application in the Kimberleys, and the project will provide readier access to seed of S. album from Timor.