Optimise efficacy of broiler house treatments for the management of lesser mealworm

The Australian chicken meat industry requires effective agents for the management of lesser mealworm in broiler houses. The only two appropriate insecticides currently registered are cyfluthrin and spinosad, with gamma cyhalothrin being developed for registration. The industry requires the efficacy of cyfluthrin to be investigated, with progress and adoption of the latter two chemicals. Optimising the efficacy of each chemical and studying them singly and in rotation will, in addition to improving their efficacy, reduce overall insecticide use and improve their cost effectiveness.

Forest and Wood Products Research and Development Corporation (FWPRDC) Cypress exatractives

Study to investigate the use of cypress pine extractives as a novel timber preservative.

Establishing forest pest detection systems in South Pacific and Australia

The aim of the project is to reduce the risk of serious damage by exotic pests to the valuable timber resources of Fiji, Vanuatu and Australia by establishing efficient detection systems for target pests in high hazard sites. In particular, the project aims to minimise losses in the valuable plantations of Fiji and the emerging plantation industry of Vanuatu. This is part of a 'neighbourhood watch' approach to incursion management that will benefit all regional countries, including Australia.

Testing Postharvest Mango treatments

The effectiveness of Amistar and ASM combinations, in reducing the severity of postharvest anthracnose and stem end rot in mango.

An audit of forest biosecurity arrangements and preparedness in Australia.

Current biosecurity arrangements for plantation forestry are poorly defined, at least relative to other plant-based industries. Serious pest and disease outbreaks in forestry are relatively rare events. Preparedness for rare events is difficult. Part of the difficulty stems from the competing views of managers and stakeholders. This project sought to directly capture alternative views concerning the key objectives of plantation forest biosecurity, alternative strategies for achieving those objectives, and ultimately recommend preferred actions that might be broadly supported by stakeholders. The outcomes from the workshop were used as a basis to draft a list of strategic actions required to improve forest biosecurity in Australia and to be implemented over the next 2-5 years. Research priorities were identified as research to support cost benefit analyses; investigating the effects of changed environmental conditions on forest biosecurity; pathway analysis for functional pest guilds. Integration of this research within a CRC would also permit the effective development and extension of this research as well as providing training urgently required to maintain forest biosecurity and health expertise.

Improvement of hardwood drying schedules.

Drying regrowth native hardwoods to satisfactory moisture levels is a significant challenge for the processing industry. Dried quality is becoming increasingly important as sawn hardwood continues to move away from structural markets into appearance applications, but more difficult to achieve as the resource mix being processed becomes younger. An accurate, predictive drying model is a powerful tool in schedule development, decreasing the reliance on expensive, repetitive drying trials. This project updates the KilnSched drying model to allow the drying behaviour of regrowth blackbutt, jarrah, messmate, spotted gum and Victorian ash to be modeled more accurately. The effect of high temperature drying and humidity treatments on spotted gum were also investigated, as was the economics of various drying methods on spotted gum and blackbutt.

The suitability of plantation thinnings as vineyard posts.

The aim of this project was to investigate the suitability of thinnings from a range of plantation species for use as vineyard posts. The hardwood plantation species examined were Eucalyptus grandis, E. globulus, E. pilularis, E. dunnii, E. cladocalyx and Corymbia maculata, while Acacia mearnsii was obtained from natural regrowth. The softwood plantation species were P. elliottii, P. radiata and Araucaria cunninghamii. Variables examined included: three air drying regimes; microwave conditioning of E. grandis and E. globulus; two preservative treatments for hardwoods (alkaline copper quaternary compound (ACQ) and pigment emulsified creosote (PEC)); and two preservative treatments for softwood species (ACQ and, for Pinus radiata copper chromium arsenic (CCA)). A further aim was to install treated posts in commercial vineyards for demonstration purposes. From an earlier trial of three hardwood species treated with PEC, demonstration posts previously installed were also to be inspected annually for three years, and any movement of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) from the posts monitored.

The Queensland forest industry

An overview of the commercial growing, management and processing of forest products in Queensland.

Processing small diameter logs from sub-tropical species

Small spindleless veneer lathe technology was used to produce veneer sheets as an alternative processing option to optimise the use of small log plantation resource. Thinned (300 spha) and unthinned control (1000 spha) plantings of 10.5-year-old Corymbia citriodora ssp. variegata (CCV) and E. dunnii (Dunn’s white gum) grown in two contrasting sites from climatic regions with large annual rainfall differences were studied. Overall veneer gross recoveries ranged from 50% to 70%, which were up to 3 times higher than typical sawn green-off saw recoveries from small plantation hardwood logs of similar diameter. Major limiting factors preventing veneer from meeting higher grades were the presence of kino defects and encased knots. Splits in E. dunnii veneer also contributed to reduced grade quality. Differences between two thinning treatments for veneer properties and grade recovery were generally small. There was significant evidence of site and species differences on veneer quality. The good quality site with higher rainfall in northern New South Wales produced denser and stiffer veneers with higher grade recoveries. CCV is a superior structural veneer species with high wood density and hardness as well as very good veneer stiffness exceeding 15,000 MPa but Dunn’s white gum has also demonstrated good potential as a useful structural plywood resource. Results indicate that relatively high veneer recoveries were achieved for the sub-tropical plantation hardwoods combined with very superior mechanical properties which suggest that veneer production have suitable attributes for a range of engineered wood products including plywood and laminated veneer lumber.

Development of a productivity asessment toll for native spotted gum forest on private land based on estimates of forest growth on Crown land.

Reliable estimates of forest productivity are essential for improved predictions of timber yields for the private native spotted gum resource in southern Qld and northern NSW. The aim of this research was to estimate the potential productivity of native spotted gum forests on private land by making use of available inventory data collated from Qld and northern NSW for spotted gum forest on Crown land (i.e. state forests). We measured a range of site-related factors to determine their relative importance in predicting productivity of spotted gum forest. While measures such as stand height and height-diameter relationships are known to be useful predictors of productivity, we aimed to determine productivity for a site where this information was not available. Through estimation of stand growth rates we developed a spotted gum productivity assessment tool (SPAT) for use by landholders and extension officers. We aimed to develop a tool to allow private landholders to see the benefits of maintaining their timber resource. This paper summarises the information used to develop the SPAT with a particular focus on forest growth relationships.

Possible impacts of the invasive plant Rubus niveus on the native vegetation of the Scalesia Forest in the Galapagos Islands

Originally from Asia, Rubus niveus has become one of the most widespread invasive plant species in the Galapagos Islands. It has invaded open vegetation, shrubland and forest alike. It forms dense thickets up to 4 m high, appearing to displace native vegetation, and threaten the integrity of several native communities. This study used correlation analysis between a R. niveus cover gradient and a number of biotic (vascular plant species richness, cover and vegetation structure) and abiotic (light and soil properties) parameters to help understand possible impacts in one of the last remaining fragments of the Scalesia forest in Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos. Higher cover of R. niveus was associated with significantly lower native species richness and cover, and a different forest structure. Results illustrated that 60% R. niveus cover could be considered a threshold for these impacts. We suggest that a maximum of 40% R. niveus cover could be a suitable management target.

Diversity and abundance of fungivorous thrips (Thysanoptera) associated with leaf-litter and bark across forest types and two tree genera in subtropical Australia

Leaf-litter thrips were much more common and diverse in dry sclerophyll forest than in wetter forest types in subtropical southeast Queensland, Australia. In dry sclerophyll forest, the species composition of thrips in leaf-litter was strongly differentiated from the thrips fauna associated with bark of the trees Eucalyptus major and Acacia melanoxylon (4 of 34 species in common). The species composition of bark-dwelling thrips was similar across the two tree species and also across two eucalypts with different bark types, Eucalyptus major (flaky) and Eucalyptus siderophloia (rough). The diversity of thrips from the leaf-litter was not differentiated across all of these tree species. Virtually all thrips collected were Phlaeothripidae, subfamilies Idolothripinae and Phlaeothripinae. Idolothripinae were associated almost exclusively with leaf-litter, but Phlaeothripinae were in leaf-litter and bark. The association of fungal-feeding thrips with dry sclerophyll forest raises questions about their ecological requirements and the role they play in nutrient cycling. © 2012 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

Investigation of potential antibacterial action for postharvest copper treatments of cut Acacia holosericea

The mechanisms of action of Cu 2+ in improving the longevity of cut flowers and foliage have not been elucidated. Possible antimicrobial action of Cu 2+ against stem end and vase solution colonising bacteria was investigated using Cu 2+ treatments optimised for cut Acacia holosericea A. Cunn. ex G. Don foliage stems. These treatments were a 5h pulse with 2.2mM Cu 2+ or a 0.5mM Cu 2+ vase solution versus a deionised water (no Cu 2+) control. Bacterial growth over time was assessed by a standard plate count agar technique and with scanning electron microscopy. Cu 2+ treatments significantly extended the cut foliage vase life. However, they did not have sustained antibacterial activity against stem end or vase solution colonising bacteria. Also, regular recutting of 1-2cm from the stem ends did not substantially improve either cut stem water relations or longevity. The positive effects of Cu 2+ treatments were unaffected by the repeated stem end recutting. It was concluded that the primary mechanism of Cu 2+ was not antibacterial. Moreover, naturally growing vase solution and stem end microbial populations had relatively insignificant effects on cut A. holosericea vase life. Research into alternative mechanisms of Cu 2+ is required. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

Fuel manipulation with herbicide treatments to reduce fire hazard in young pine (Pinus elliottii × P. caribaea) plantations in south-east Queensland, Australia

Wildfire represents a major risk to pine plantations. This risk is particularly great for young plantations (generally less than 10 m in height) where prescribed fire cannot be used to manipulate fuel biomass, and where flammable grasses are abundant in the understorey. We report results from a replicated field experiment designed to determine the effects of two rates of glyphosate (450 g L–1) application, two extents of application (inter-row only and inter-row and row) with applications being applied once or twice, on understorey fine fuel biomass, fuel structure and composition in south-east Queensland, Australia. Two herbicide applications (~9 months apart) were more effective than a once-off treatment for reducing standing biomass, grass continuity, grass height, percentage grass dry weight and the density of shrubs. In addition, the 6-L ha–1 rate of application was more effective than the 3-L ha–1 rate of application in periodically reducing grass continuity and shrub density in the inter-rows and in reducing standing biomass in the tree rows, and application in the inter-rows and rows significantly reduced shrub density relative to the inter-row-only application. Herbicide treatment in the inter-rows and rows is likely to be useful for managing fuels before prescribed fire in young pine plantations because such treatment minimised tree scorch height during prescribed burns. Further, herbicide treatments had no adverse effects on plantation trees, and in some cases tree growth was enhanced by treatments. However, the effectiveness of herbicide treatments in reducing the risk of tree damage or mortality under wildfire conditions remains untested.