SFF Project Summary
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Updated: 11 May 2010
Open-Ground and Container Raised Indigenous Plants
Comparison Final Report March 2010 [1.77M PDF]
Open-Ground and Container Raised Indigenous Plants
Comparison Progress Report July 2008 [1.52M PDF]
Mahurangi Magazine Website
Project description
Jump-start the transfer of open-ground nursery methods (as used to raise exotic forestry species) to facilitate the production of indigenous plants
- in larger quantities
- at lower prices
- with more reliable root systems
…to greatly enhance sustainable land use options.
The issue/opportunity
Open-ground nursery methods are key to facilitating the third fundamental transformation in New Zealand’s rural landscape:
1. indigenous forest to exotic pasture
2. exotic pasture to exotic forest
3. exotic pasture/forest to sustainable indigenous forest.
The context/background
The cost of establishing indigenous vegetation is prohibitive—it can exceed $40,000 per hectare.
Mechanical nursery methods (radiata pine-style) are the only practicable means that indigenous trees can be established—whether for restoration purposes or for sustainable timber production—on a nationally significant scale.
Jaap van Dorsser pioneered open-ground indigenous plant methods in the 1960s for the Forestry Research Institute (responding to a directorate imperative to develop sustainable indigenous forestry methods). Jaap is an advisor to the project.
Demand for indigenous plants is now more than sufficient to support large-scale open-ground production methods.
Methods
Establish a pilot nursery to:
1. Demonstrate and publicise open-ground indigenous plant propagation methods
2. To further-develop those methods.
