Facilitating the availability and use of improved germplasm for forestry and agroforestry in Papua New Guinea

This progress summary below outlines key activities and results obtained in the first year of the project which effectively started in August 2005. At the commencement of the project an inception meeting was held at FRI Lae.

Objective 1. Establish and maintain germplasm populations for 10 tree species.
A strategy plan has been developed for each of the 10 target species as a starting point for implementation of this activity. The following activities have been undertaken to 31st March for each of the species:

Teak (Tectona grandis): Under separate funding, a 'review of available germplasm of Teak in PNG' has been undertaken and report prepared. Information from report will be used to determine the genetic sources to be used in development a new seed orchard. Seed orchard seed from Thailand has been imported in to PNG to supplement local germ plasm sources.

Taun (Pometia pinnata): Seedlings are being raised in readiness to graft on selected vegetative material derived from trees identified to produce superior fruit. If grafting does not prove successful, the seedlings derived from fruit being sold in the Madang markets will be used to establish a seed stand.

Eaglewood (Gyrinops ledermannii): FRI has 25 unrelated source plants which are being used to build up the number of plants using cutting propagation techniques.

Indian Sandalwood (Santalum album): 950 seedlings from genetically improved seed source are being raised at the FRI nursery. The plants will be planted by FRI as a seed stand and distributed to selected growers as a source of future seed.

PNG sandalwood (S. macgregorii) seedlings are being raised at FRI nursery for use as rootstocks for grafting on scion material from wild populations in an ongoing attempt to conserve the genetic diversity of the species.

Eucalyptus pellita and Acacia crassicarpa: Genetically superior seed is being raised by FRI for use in establishing seed production areas of these two species.

Objective 2. Training rural communities in tree planting (seed collection to tending planted trees)
A number of NGO organisations interested in working with communities to establish trees have been engaged under the project. A meeting was held at the commencement of the project to brief representatives from each of the five NGOs together with FRI. Following this workshop approximately two 'nursery trainers from each NGO group attended a two week nursery training course. Following the meeting and workshop, NGO staff have been developing links with representative communities associated with their organisations.

Objective 3. Genetically improved eucalypt germ plasm
3a. E. deglupta CSO in PNG - Selections from the existing Eucalyptus deglupta clonal seed orchard, seedling seed orchard and 'Philippines' stand at Bulolo have been made for use in establishing a new CSO. Scion material from all 19 clones in the CSO have been successfully grafted on to rootstocks. An additional 800 rootstocks are currently being raised in the FRI nursery for the purpose of grafting scions from an additional 30 selected clones. A site at Bulolo is being prepared in readiness to plant the new CSO.

3b. Develop hybrid between E. deglupta x E. pellita - 10 -15 clones grafted above are earmarked for carrying out hybrid cross using E. pellita as the male once the E. deglupta grafts flower. E. pellita from seed orchards in North Queensland derived mainly from PNG and West Irian has been collected in readiness for the controlled crosses.

3c. Eucalypt hybrids in Queensland - The first round of E. urophylla x E. pellita controlled-pollinations were undertaken at two locations in north Queensland, over a two week period between February - March 2006. Twenty individual mother trees - seven from a family trial at Kuranda and thirteen from a family trial at East Palmerston were used for the controlled pollination work.

Additional pollen was collected from the E. pellita seed orchards for future pollination of other eucalypt species. Future planned hybrid crosses include E. grandis x E. pellita, E. camadulensis x E. pellita and E. urophylla x E. pellita.

The project is now into its second year of operation with significant activities having been achieved. Key highlights cover the establishment of a Kamarere SO, Teak clone bank,and Kamarere conservation clone bank, establishment of E. pellita & and A. crassicarpa SPAs and seed production in the Calophyllum euryphyllum progeny trial. A number of village nurseries were established by villagers following training by Project Partners.

Information on progress against each of the three objectives is summarised below:

Objective 1. Establish and maintain germplasm populations for 10 tree species

A teak conservation clone bank was established at PNG Forest Research Institute in Lae comprising 18 out of the total of 30 clones represented in the Mount Lawes clonal seed orchard. The orchard is considered the most complete and best collection of genetically selected teak in the country. The orchard established in the 1970s has been under continuing threat making the need to conserve the existing germplasm a high priorityso it has been seen as a high priority that the germplasm, considered the most complete source of germplasm in PNG be conserved. Further attempts will be made in 2007 to capture the other 120 clones plus selected trees (six) from East New Britain. The key outcome over time is to produce sufficient grafted to establish a new seed orchard as part of meeting the country's anticipated seed requirements. also proposed to produce sufficient grafted plants from each clone to establish a new seed orchard.
Two taun (Pometia pinnata) seed stands were established as a future source of seed. Seed was sourced from Madang and Manus seed. These seed sources were selected on the basis of their desirable fruit characteristics. Work is continuing on developing grafting techniques for this species. Current success rate is around 33% using tip cleft grafting.
246 seedlings of Indian sandalwood (Santalum album) have been established in the FRI nursery ready for planting. This represents the only known resource of this highly prised sandalwood in PNG. It is proposed to produce additional plants to extend the resources to enable project collaborators to access seedlings for their own use. Work on PNG sandalwood (S. macgregorii) is ongoing but frustrated by a lack of suitable germplasm and unsuccessful attempts to produce new plants by grafting.

The NG walnut (Dracontomelon dao) provenance trial at Bumsi near Lae, has been thinned to remove 50% of inferior trees therebyand converting the trial in to a future to a seed sourcestand. Growth assessments have been used to pride some data on growth performance for this species.
The Calophyllum euryphyllum progeny trial at Bumsi produced a seed crop and subsequent regeneration. This stand which is now 5 years at time of seeding can now produce bulk quantities of seed suitable for growers to use.
Seed stands of Eucalyptus pellita and Acacia crassicarpa have been established at Ramu and Bulolo. The seed used for establishment of these stands is derived from seed orchards of superior genetic quality. It is hoped that these stands will produce quality seed in three to four years in addition to the along with the A. mangium seed stand near Madangestablished previously near Madang.
The species trial Lae Botanical Gardens continues to be well maintained and has the potential to provide valuable information on comparative growth rates. Terminalia complanata and Elmerrillia papuana have shown outstanding growth performance. An assessment of growth and survival performance has been made by FRI staff.

Objective 2. Training rural communities in nursery practices and planting seedlings
Ken and Yati to provide inputs
Project Partner organisations, in particular Foundation for People Community Development (FPCD), provided training to a number of (six) village communities. Each trainer has conducted follow-up training in order to reinforce and evaluate the implementation and impacts of nursery skills within their respective villages. During their training workshops each trainer conducted a baseline survey amongst village growers on tree species priorities and desirability of trees. OISCA and CPL trainees are also using the training provided under the project to develop their own nursery facilities. A series of nursery training aids were developed to include wall posters illustrating nursery techniques in both English and Pidgin.

Objective 3. Eucalypt germplasm development
3a. Establishment of a new Eucalyptus deglupta seed orchard
A new Eucalyptus deglupta seed orchard has been established at Bulolo. The orchard is represented by clonal material sources from the old Bulolo CSO (19 clones), 6 grafted selections from the Philippines progeny trial at Bulolo, five selections from the Bulolo seedling seed orchard and seedlings derived from 11 candidate plus tree selections in . Seedling are currently being raised from seed derived from xxx Plus trees selections in Solomon IIslands.

3b. Development of hybrid between E. deglupta x E. pellita. xx 67 ramets representing xx 25 clones ex old Bulolo CSO have been established in the FRI nursery grounds. These will be used as a resource for carrying out the controlled pollination crosses with E. pellita once flowering occurs. It is hoped that this will occur by early in 2008. The trees can also be used to carry out other controlled pollination work or other research activities.

3c. Eucalypt hybrids in Queensland.
Pollen has been collected from select E. pellita trees for CP on E. deglupta as mentioned in 3b, and to continue the hybrid crossing program in Queensland. Controlled pollinations were made at two separate sites using different species as both male and female parents. One site has been seriously drought-affected for the past few years which contributed to low capsule retention. Pollinations carried out at the second site have resulted in successful capsule set. Seed should be ready for harvest by October 2007.