Forest species nursery management and germplasm selection for bioenergy production

Specifications

• Client: TPC Limited
• Scope:

  Verterra is assisting TPC Limited across a number of areas directly related to its agroforestry development program. Over time, the potential range of services may include:

  Training in nursery production (seedlings and cutting)

  Germplasm selection (for site adaptation and target products)

  Trial design and analysis (selection, breeding and silviculture)

  Saline and sodic soil assessment and management (complementing USQ studies)

  Operational forest management

  Collaborative preparation of funding proposals.

• Challenge:

  TPC runs a 16,000 ha sugar estate and generates its own power from cane bagasse for part of the year. TPC must utilise grid power once bagasse from the annual harvest of cane is exhausted. Continuity of power from the National grid is unreliable. TPC would like to supplement seasonal bioenergy from bagasse, and is investigating the potential for utlising saline sodic land, unsuitable for cane production, for establishment of tree crops to supply biomass for energy on a short rotation crop basis. However, due to its saline sodic nature, the land is problematic for tree or plant growth. TPC also faces challenges in produciton of high quality tree seedling stock.

• Solution:

  Verterra will conduct a comprehensive review of forest tree species, provenances and clones potentially suited to TPC sites, climate and breeding objective of maximising calorific value from plantations, and establish replicated trials to progressively refine and select the best species options. Verterra will also provide hands-on nursery management training to ensure the capacity to delivery high quality planting stock to the field.

• Benefit to Client:

  This project will assist TPC Limited to identify species and genetic material with potential for commercial produciton on saline sites. It will also provide hands on training in nursery production, upskill TPC nursery staff and improve the quality of seedling stock.

• Capabilities:
  • Bio-fuels
  • Tree and crop improvement
  • Soil Science
• Location: Tanzania
• Year: 2016 - 2017