Overview
The project aimed to identify practical methods to increase heartwood development in Vanuatu Sandalwood.
Sandalwood offers farming diversity and an economic opportunity for Vanuatu. Heartwood formation and sandalwood oil deposition, determines sandalwood value. This project explored the regulation of sandalwood heartwood formation through the identification and implementation of chemical treatments. Knowing the genes and enzymes that produce sandalwood oil provided a basic understanding. Missing was understanding gene regulation as sandalwood heartwood and oil yield fluctuate widely between trees. This work builds on earlier ACIAR work on sandalwood silviculture and breeding in Vanuatu.
