Purpose
This project aimed to reduce nursery plant losses by developing evidence-based strategies that optimise fertiliser, fungicide, and beneficial microbe treatments. It focused on co-designing experiments with stakeholders, refining nutrition and fungicide practices, exploring new pathogen control methods, and supporting post-project adoption of findings.
Summary
The project investigated innovative nursery management techniques to address pathogen issues in pine seedlings and improve overall nursery efficiency. This project developed sustainable ways to improve pathogen control in pine nurseries by boosting beneficial fungi. Researchers found that reducing fertiliser by half still supported healthy plant growth, while some fungicides were ineffective and harmful to helpful fungi. They created a testing system to identify better fungicides, trialled amino acid fertilisers and microbial inoculants, and showed that greater microbiome diversity reduced disease. New treatments for Botrytis cinerea (a necrotrophic fungus) were also piloted. Nursery partners have already begun changing practices, including reducing fertiliser use and switching fungicides in radiata and Southern pine nurseries. The findings provided practical recommendations for nursery managers and forest growers to adopt cost-effective and scalable solutions. Overall, the project contributed to strengthening the forestry sector’s ability to produce healthier, more resilient pine stock for future plantations.
Benefits to the Forest and Wood Products Industry
- Strengthened nursery management practices led to the production of healthier, disease-resistant pine seedlings, improving plantation outcomes.
- Increased seedling survival and growth rates that reduce replanting costs and enhance overall forest productivity.
- Improved nursery space utilization enabling more efficient resource allocation and operational planning.
- Delivered scalable, evidence-based recommendations that support long-term sustainability and resilience across the forest industry.
Acknowledgement
This work was supported by funding provided to Forest and Wood Products Australia (FWPA) to administer the National Institute for Forest Products Innovation program (NIFPI).
Funding for the program was provided by the Australian Government, the Victorian Government and Australian forest and wood products industry
