Hardwood from Softwood
A great divide separates the broad-leaf trees that produce hardwoods, and the conifers that produce softwoods. Conifers, such as pinus radiata, grow quickly and are suited to commercial production. Hardwoods, on the other hand, grow slowly, some taking centuries to mature; but their timber is beautiful and durable, and commands a premium. A single teak log can fetch $40,000. Alistair MacKenzie looks into the process that Forest Research scientists have devised to bridge the divide and rescue pinus radiata from its Cinderella status.
Wood products
Seventeen years ago, scientists at what was then the Forest Research Institute (now a Crown Owned Research Institute called Forest Research) asked themselves how they might lift the value of New Zealand's softwood crop (conceptual statement).
They had raised pine silviculture to a high art. They had developed cultivars ideally suited to the timber industry. They had learned to space trees so they competed with each other and grew straight and tall, and to make trees grow more quickly. They knew how to manage tree pests and diseases, and how and when to harvest timber to maximise yield. They recognised that the key to raising the value of pine still further lay in adding value after harvesting. Using pinus radiata as their base material, they set about the alchemy of turning softwood into hard.
This case study is reproduced with permission from e.nz magazine. Subscriptions to e.nz are discounted for schools and TENZ members.
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