Australian tree growers and plantation managers are supporting specialist research exploring tree genetics to breed more resilient and productive species.
Forest & Wood Products Australia (FWPA) and its grower members have collectively contributed almost $16 million over two decades to support the work of Tree Breeding Australia, the peak body for breeding and improving Australian species such as Radiata Pine (Pinus radiata) and Blue Gum (Eucalyptus globulus).
With a deep grounding in scientific practice, Tree Breeding Australia’s work aims to empower growers with information and materials that deliver tangible commercial benefits—increasing plantation productivity while maintaining or improving timber quality.
General Manager, Dr Tony McRae explains while some plantation management is reactive, tree breeding can create lasting benefits.
“Genetics are powerful because the developments they create are retained indefinitely,” he says.
“Inputs such as fertiliser are crucial, but further applications are needed in response to the environment and the circumstances. Once you improve the genetics, the gains are locked in – with further investment compounding the gains.
“It can be a cost-effective way of improving productivity and return on investment.”
FWPA has supported several recent and ongoing projects conducted by Tree Breeding Australia in collaboration with Australian growers and plantation managers. Collectively, these works seek to improve tree breeding programs to produce more productive, resilient and valuable trees for softwood and hardwood plantations, while ensuring the industry is prepared for future challenges such as climate change.
In doing so, tree breeding and genetics research directly contributes to FWPA’s strategic priority to improve the resource base, reduce risk and increase productivity for growers and processors.
Understanding Plantations’ Resilience to Changing Climates
Genetic improvement programs for softwoods aim to breed and select trees with increased productivity, better product quality and healthier attributes. These trees are assessed in field trials on sites typical of where softwood plantations are grown.
Other projects such as ‘Developing plantation trees better adapted to changing environments’ (PNC547-2021), look to build on existing research by testing species across a broader range of environments, particularly reflecting conditions resulting from climate change.
Two trial series focusing on pine species were established to observe growth rate, wood quality, and tolerance of low rainfall, poor soil, high temperatures and strong winds. Identifying the trees that perform best among these conditions allows breeders to target their genetic factors and breed more resilient trees.
Participating in the Queensland trial, Geneticist Dominic Kain of HQPlantations, said gaining this information early will allow growers to make informed decisions on superior species earlier in the process and reduce the time needed to breed trees adapted to challenging environments.
“To prepare for the impacts of climate change, genetic material needs to be characterised on site types and environments which are currently considered atypical of the broader plantation estate,” he said.
“Improving the drought resilience of both radiata and southern pines through breeding and selection is likely to be more cost effective than finding alternative species. These trials demonstrate the value of industry collaboration and the role of advanced genetic tools in improving tree breeding outcomes.
The data from these trials will contribute to the economic sustainability of Queensland’s plantation forestry industry by supporting high-yield and high-quality timber production in marginal environments.”
Dominic reported that the two South Eastern Queensland trial sites are performing well, with strong survival rates, and initial assessments of growth, form and wood quality will be conducted in 2025.
“However, the most valuable insights will emerge when the trees face a significant drought, revealing those with greatest drought resilience,” he said.
Recognising the Value of Improved Genetics
Another example of genetics research focused on commercial benefits for growers is ‘Incorporating genetics into forest valuation models – IRR Plan’ (VNC480-1819).
Growers and plantation managers are required to regularly value and report on the performance of their plantations, particularly for investors who wish to monitor progress over time.
Genetically improved trees have better growth rates, wood quality or overall health, but their added value isn’t usually factored into forest valuations until much later in the cycle, when inventory is measured. This could be up to ten years later in the case of radiata pine.
Dr Milos Ivkovich of Tree Breeding Australia said this can lead to underestimations of plantation value because they don’t account for expected increases in yield and product quality.
“The aim of the research was to help industry recognise the contribution of improved genetics in plantations at the time of establishment, by estimating the expected future values of key growth traits,” he said.
“Quantifying the marginal increase in value from improved genetics in young stands is critical for investors to make informed decisions about likely returns and alternative land use.”
A pilot study is now underway in collaboration with growers, to build on the results of this research. The study aims to use information from real plantations to improve the accuracy of growth models using genetic information, as well as develop a system for tracking the deployment of genetically improved trees in the field. The goal is to create a strong resource for validating and valuing plantation.
Accelerating Genetic Gains: Enhancing Productivity and Profitability
Industry is increasing investment in tree improvement to ramp up the rate of genetic gain in pines and eucalypts.
“The rate of genetic gain for the past 20 years in productivity increase through improved genetics has been tracking at about 0.3 to 0.5 percent per annum cumulative depending on the region,” said Dr McRae.
“The current objective is to increase the rate of gain for productivity to more than 1 percent per annum without compromising resource quality. This means trees planted in 10 yrs time will grow more than 10 percent faster and the following next rotation yield up to 30 percent more timber.
“The national profit index for radiata pine had been trending up at about $40 NPV per ha per year – increasing to $69 for the past 5 years – and last year to $168 – more than double the recent trend. This is great news – demonstrating that by scaling up operations the bar is being raised higher each year as planned,” he said.
With the progressive rolling front breeding programs, and the introduction of new innovations such as genomics, there is a big opportunity for industry to capture improvements in productivity and resource quality – the value for industry could be hundreds of millions of dollars across a rotation.
The potential improvement in estate value after 5 years of deploying newer genetics would be in the order of $60M for radiata pine – noting that good silviculture and management practices are needed to capitalise on better genetics. Genetics will also play a critical role in sustaining productivity levels in situations where the environment is declining due to climate change, industry expansion and incursions of new pests and diseases.
“It is great news to see an upward trend in gains for the economic index,” said Dr McRae.
Broadening Industry Applications for Genetic Research
FWPA has supported several other research projects in the field of tree breeding and genetics, which together are empowering growers with greater information and tools to improve their plantations.
- Tools, systems and enabling genetic technologies for pines and eucalypts (VNC515-1920)
This projects is focused on developing and implementing cutting-edge tools and technologies, fostering collaboration across industries and species, and building expertise in genetic improvement. By consolidating genetic resources and creating national databases, it seeks to increase genetic gains, reduce risks, and ensure the competitiveness of Australian forest products in both domestic and international markets. Ultimately, the goal is to prepare the industry for future environmental challenges and maximise the economic benefits of reforestation efforts, particularly in areas devastated by bushfires.
- National tree improvement (VNC579-2122)
This project aims to significantly boost the productivity of Australian softwood and hardwood plantations by accelerating genetic improvement programs for pines and eucalypts. Doubling the current rate of genetic gain is the primary aim, achieved through expanded research, the adoption of advanced breeding tools (like DATAPLAN and TREEPLAN), and enhanced data management and analysis. National collaboration and knowledge sharing are central, fostering efficiency and mitigating risks. In doing so, this initiative seeks to strengthen the competitiveness of Australian forest products in global markets by producing genetically superior trees better equipped to withstand environmental challenges and pests.
- Genetic gain levy portion (VNC580-2122)
The goal of this project is to notably accelerate the genetic improvement of four major Australian plantation tree species—radiata pine, blue gum, shining gum, and southern pines—by at least doubling the rate of genetic gain. This ambitious goal relies heavily on integrating genomic data into breeding programs, enabling earlier and more accurate parent selection, thereby shortening generation times. The research strives to integrate these genomic tools into operational Australian tree breeding programs for enhanced efficiency and genetic gains.
Genetics plays a critical role in enhancing the productivity and sustainability of the Australian forestry industry. By focusing on key areas such as accelerating genetic gain and understanding the value of genetically improved trees from the start of their life cycle, this work positions growers and plantations to meet future challenges and optimise returns on investment.
Ultimately, developing trees with improved genetic traits for productivity, quality, and resilience will enable plantation forests to produce high-yield, high-quality timber in a range of environments. Genetics are a vital component in the economic sustainability of the industry.
