Specialty Timbers New ZealandForest Protection SSIF research on species other than radiata pine 2018/19
By Toni Withers, Robert Radics, Andrew Pugh, Aymee Lewis, Rebecca McDougal, June 2019.
Download SWP-T081 (pdf)
Executive summary
Plantation species other than Pinus radiata (radiata pine), in particular Douglas-fir and eucalypts, form an important part of a diversified forest estate. Douglas-fir is planted over approx. 105,000 ha. and is the most widely planted tree species after radiata pine. Eucalyptus species are planted over approximately 27,000 ha and contribute ~$40 million pa in hardwood chip exports. Throughout New Zealand the biggest threat to E. nitens plantations is from the eucalyptus tortoise beetle, Paropsis charybdis (Bain and Kay 1989). SWP has been supporting the project team that is working to introduce a new biocontrol agent from Australia to suppress damage from this beetle. The culmination of five years of research saw the EPA application submitted (for the release of the new biocontrol agent), a hearing held, and a final approval for release made (in Q3).
Forest Protection undertook SSIF funded research on the health of plantation species aligned to the Specialty Wood Products Partnership. This year the $150K pa of aligned research focused on research within the post-border entomology area. The work aims to improve sustainable management of Eucalyptus plantation pests in order to permit on-going confidence in the sector and show that Eucalyptus can continue to be grown in New Zealand, even the pest-prone Symphyomyrtus species (Millen et al. 2018).
Firstly, economic modellers assessed the economic impact of Paropsis charybdis and defined the cost and the benefit of its control to New Zealand. This report proved invaluable for industry, and for the application in support of the biological control agent to be proposed for release against P. charybdis. Secondly, the EPA application to release a new biocontrol agent was successful, both the staff assessment report, and the final decision document agreed that the likely benefits outweighed any risks for New Zealand of introducing a new agent. Thirdly, the prospects of locating a suitable biological control agent for the recently introduced pest Paropsisterna variicollis was strengthened through collaboration with international entomologists. Masters student Ryan Ridenbaugh, University of Central Florida, USA, has shown a high proportion of P. variicollis larvae infesting Eucalyptus globulus plantations throughout November and early December in Victoria, Australia, are infested with a species of Eadya (Braconidae). At least half the sites revealed successful parasitism. We await the molecular results to reveal whether or not the Eadya specimens are in fact all the expected species, Eadya annleckii, or whether they might be a combination of the Eadya species identified to date. The only work not completed to the stage expected was submission of a collaborative publication that shows the likely geographic origin of P. variicollis based on sequences from two gene regions of beetles from throughout Australia and New Zealand. The analyses are not complete and therefore we can’t release the results for public dissemination at this time.
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