Project Progress Report: " Sustainable and profitable development of acacia plantations for sawlog production in Vietnam " pdf

Name Organisation NGUYEN HUU HUY Forest Service Department of Thua Thien Hue NGUYEN DUC HUY Forest Service Department of Thua Thien Hue VUONG QUANG TRAN VAN NGOC HUY Management Board of

Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development

Collaboration for Agriculture & Rural Development

Report

Project VIE:032/05 Sustainable and profitable development of acacia plantations for sawlog production in Vietnam

Acacia Silviculture Extension Workshop 1

List of Participants

The participants were invited by the Hue Provincial Forestry Office Twenty-five

participants attended the course They included extension officers, forestry personnel (public and private), and sawmill employees All the participants were male

Name Organisation

NGUYEN HUU HUY Forest Service Department of Thua Thien Hue

NGUYEN DUC HUY Forest Service Department of Thua Thien Hue

VUONG QUANG

TRAN VAN NGOC HUY Management Board of Sandy Forest

HOANG PHUOC TOAN Management Board of JBIC Project

HUYNH TU Management Board of Bo River

VAN TIEN HUNG Management Board of Huong River

NGUYEN THANH Management Board of A Luoi Protection Plantations

VO LONG QUAN Forest Product Company

TRAN QUANG PHU 1-5 Joint Stock Company

NGUYEN THAI DUY 1-5 Joint Stock Company

HOANG HUU BANG 1-5 Joint Stock Company

TRAN VAN MINH Management Board of North-Hai Van Protection Plantations

VO HUU SANG Management Board of Nan Dong Protection Plantations NGUYEN VAN LUYEN Management Board of Huong Thuy Protec Plantations

NGUYEN QUANG

PHAN VAN HUYNH Thua Thien Hue Centre for Agriculture and Forest Extension

HO GAP Thua Thien Hue Centre for Agriculture and Forest Extension

NGO HOANG HAI Tien Phong Forest Company

PHAM HO HAI LONG Huong Giang Wood Processing Company

LE VAN THIEN Phong Dien Forest Company

NGUYEN XUAN DINH Quang Tri Centre for Agriculture and Forest extention

Programme

The Extension Workshop was conducted over a three-day period from 10th-12th March The full programme is summarised in Appendix 1 There are four other Appendices: Appendix 2 contains the Course Notes; Appendices 3 and 4 contain notes that refer to the silvicultural trials established at Dong Ha and Dong Hoi These appendices were translated into

Vietnamese Appendices 5 contains notes that refer to the seed orchards and tree

improvement trials established at Dong Ha (available in Vietnamese only) These

Appendices were circulated to participants at the start of the course

Day 1 Monday 10 March Hue and around Hue

The two FSIV (Mr Phi Hong Hai and Mr Dang Thinh Trieu) and one CSIRO (Dr Chris Beadle) staff delivering the course were welcomed at the Hue Forestry Office by Mr Chi Cuc Truong, the Director of the Hue Provincial Forestry Service

The participants were formally welcomed by Mr Le Van Hoa, the Deputy Director (Plate 1) Chris Beadle also welcomed them on behalf of the Vietnamese and Australian staff working

on the CARD project

The morning programme consisted of four activities, the afternoon one activity Two of the morning activities were at demonstration sites (Stands 1 and 2) that had first been prepared in November 2006 for the purposes of this Extension Workshop Additional work was done on these sites in the intervening period They are part of a network of four CARD

demonstration sites close to Hue city (Table 1) A third, 10-month-old stand (Stand 3) was also used for the workshop The fourth morning activity was at a small sawmill owned by

Mr Nguyen Bo The afternoon activity was at a large integrated sawmill and furniture-making company (Huong Giang [Perfume River] Wood Processing Company)

Stand 3: Form pruning (Mr Trieu)

This stand was located about 400 m from Stand 2 and was age 10 months old It was

selected the day before the course and used to demonstrate:

• Tools that can be used for pruning: saws, shears, secateurs;

• Essential rules when pruning branches:

o Live branches;

o Excise at edge of root collar (role of root collar in occlusion of branches);

o Avoid all damage to bark; undercutting large branches before pruning can eliminate bark tearing

• Selecting branches for form pruning;

• When to use tip pruning and how to apply it

The participants then spent 30 minutes practising form pruning and familiarising themselves with the use of the various tools (Plates 2-4)

Stand 2: Singling and 1st-lift pruning (Mr Trieu)

• Singling and the consequences of not singling (demonstrated at this stand) (Plate 5);

• 1st

-lift pruning to 2 m height (Plate 6)

The participants then spent 30 minutes practising 1st-lift pruning

Stand 1: 2nd-lift pruning, tree size and basal area Pruning and wood quality (Mr Trieu)

• 2nd

-lift pruning to 4 m height;

• The relationship between stand density, tree size and basal area;

• Decay entry, knotty and knot-free (clear) wood

Table 1: List of demonstration trials in Hue Province, Central Vietnam The maximum diameter at breast height was estimated on 10th March 2008

Site 1 Site 2 (Stand 1*) Site 3 Site 4 (Stand 2*)

Huong Tra, 20

km S of Hue

Huong Tho, Huong Tra, 12

km W of Hue

Phu Bai, Huong Thuy, 25 km S

of Hue

Huong Tho, Huong Tra, 12

km W of Hue Species Acacia hybrid Acacia hybrid Acacia hybrid Acacia hybrid

3 m × 2.5 m 3 m × 3 m

Previous

vegetation

Pinus merkusii Pinus merkusii A mangium

Fertiliser at

planting

100 g 10:10:5 NPK in hole

100 g 10:10:5 NPK in hole

100 g 10:10:5 NPK in hole Maximum

diameter at 1.3

m

Singling

Form pruning

1st-lift pruning

2nd-lift pruning

Sept 2006 No

No Nov 2006 to 2-2.5

m Nov 2007 to 4 m

No

No Nov 2006 to 2.0- 2.5 m

Nov 2006 Demonstrated Mar 2008 to 2.0

m

Ownership Forest

Enterprise

Forest Enterprise Forest

Enterprise

Forest Enterprise

Other

comments

may be water stress

Weeded

*Stands 1 and 2 as referred to in the Extension Course

#

Stocking currently 1000-1200 stems ha-1

Plate 1: Mr Le Van Hoa, the Deputy Director Hue Provincial Forestry Service welcoming

participants to the Extension Course Plate 2: Mr Trieu demonstrates the tools that can be used for pruning at Stand 3 Plate 3: A participant practises pruning a large branch with a saw at Stand 3 Plate 4: Mr Trieu explains how to select branches for form pruning at Stand

3 Plate 5: Participants examine the consequences of not singling at Stand 2 Plate 6: A

participant practises lift pruning with shears at Stand 2

General Discussion

The participants made the following points during the discussion (Plate 7):

• What they had seen was a convincing demonstration of improved practice;

• Most of the participants oversee plantations that receive slash pruning and unstructured thinning;

• For many it was the first time they had seen pruning shears;

• It is difficult to purchase the right tools;

• Wood quality is not a variable that gets considered;

• Pruned stems do not attract a price premium;

• Demonstration trials are required throughout the province to convince farmers that

improved practices can deliver benefits It was unclear how this could be resourced

Plate 7: A participant discusses the management of pruned stands at Stand 1 Plate 8: Mr

Trieu explains the sawmill system at Mr Nguyen Bo’s small sawmill

Mr Nguyen Bo’s small sawmill (Mr Bo was unable to be present) (Mr Trieu)

• Log sizes processed and prices paid at this mill;

• The sawmill system (Plate 8);

• Variation in log quality

Perfume River Wood Processing Company (company staff) (Plates 9, 10)

Mr Hiep, the Director welcomed the participants and outlined the main features of the mill

• Mr Long (a participant on the course) and Mr Phau showed us round;

• Operating for five years, turnover $700,000, 300 employees, export only (mainly to France);

• Log purchasing (mainly acacia hybrid and A mangium) highly competitive (the company

owns 100 ha plantation);

• 4000 m3 throughput; average price paid 1.2M Dong m-3; log size must be 12 cm diameter minimum in the centre;

• Break-even recovery of sawn timber was 58%;

• “Brittleheart” more prevalent in A mangium than acacia hybrid A mangium cut to

thinner boards;

• Oven-drying at 50 ºC for 16 days; powered by waste wood (shavings etc)

The participants were able to see all aspects of the operation: rough sawing, drying,

measuring and cutting piece sizes; final shaping, planing and form work; drilling, assembly and finishing

Plate 9: Participants observe a mill employee using a template to maximise the recovery of

wood for furniture parts Plate 10: Participants examine the assembly of components for the

export outdoor furniture market (mainly to France)

Day 2 Tuesday 11 th March Dong Ha

Dong Ha FSIV station is a major centre in Vietnam for tree improvement experiments These were the main feature of the second day programme The other activity was a visit to

a sustainability trial that has just been established as part of the CARD project

Acacia mangium and A auriculiformis seed production areas (SPAs) (Mr Hai/Mr Dinh)

• Yield is 20-30 kg seed per 2-3 ha of the SPA;

• Vietnam is very short of acacia seed; currently importing large quantities from Australia; interestingly, Australian seed is often preferred by growers even though the Vietnamese improved seed is superior;

• Flowering of A auriculiformis generally poor;

• Ten per cent is hybrid seed but this cannot be recognised;

• The widespread use of unimproved seed was discussed There was a lack of

understanding amongst growers of the availability and advantages of improved stock

Acacia auriculiformis genetic gain trial (Mr Hai)

• The real genetic gain in stem volume at age four years is 38% for seedling seed orchard elite seed and 32% for seed production area elite seed, relative to natural provenance seed;

• The worst performing stock was that raised from a Vietnamese commercial seed source, with 41% lower stem volume than the natural provenance seed at age four years (related

to inbreeding and selection of trees with poor form in the commercial seed production areas);

• Select seedling seed orchard seed had the best rates of growth at age four years and significant improvements in form (forking and stem straightness, characteristics essential for sawlog production) (Plate 11)

Acacia mangium genetic gain trial (includes A hybrid clones) (Mr Hai)

• A mangium growing faster than A hybrid on this site at age 5 years;

• A mangium is more wind stable than A hybrid;

• Seedling seed orchard seed is also the best performing at this site;

• On high rainfall sites (>2000 mm), A hybrid is more susceptible to disease

Acacia crassicarpa Seedling Seed Orchard (Mr Hai)

• There are fundamental problems getting this species to set seed This may be linked to flowering occurring during the rainy season though the true nature of the problem is not resolved;

• Because of these problems, at least 150 of the top families in this SSO will be grafted

This is being done so that more seed orchards of A crassicarpa can be established in

Vietnam

• The first intention is to establishing another SSO in Hue province A suitable site is being sought

Plate 11: Mr Hai explains the benefits to be gained from using selected seed orchard seed at

the A auriculiformis genetic gain trial at Dong Ha Plate 12: Mr Trieu describes the

treatments that are being used in the new CARD Sustainability Trial that was established in December 2007 at Dong Ha

Sustainability trial (Mr Trieu)

• The trial was planted in early December 2007 (Plate 12) Since planting it has been very cold and there has not been much growth (<20 cm with some tops being lost) Survival at age three months was generally >90% but in patches no better than 80% Replanting is in progress

• The ramets were inserted into planting holes that had been prepared in the following way:

o A 40 × 40 × 40 cm volume of soil was dug from the ground The bottom 15 – 20

cm was returned and the measured amount of fertiliser added and mixed thoroughly

in this layer It was then covered by about a 5 cm layer of soil This isolates the planted ramet from direct contact with the fertiliser The ramet is planted in the top

15 cm of soil

o The large planting hole may be advantageous for root development, and for wider distribution of the fertiliser It may also be useful for capturing and storing more water around the ramet at dry sites, as at Dong Ha

• The levels of P applied were equivalent to 16 and 32 kg ha-1

• No pre-planting weed control was undertaken because there were no weeds present

General Discussion

The participants raised the following issues during the discussion:

• The relative benefits of burning v slash retention, including how each affects nutrient supply;

• The effects of burning on regeneration of acacia wildings;

• Chemical v manual weed control and the environment;

• The potential for fertiliser at planting to kill seedlings

Day 3 Wednesday 12 th March Dong Hoi

The primary content of the morning programme was a visit to a thinning trial established in June 2006 by the CARD Project (Plates 13, 14) Significant responses to thinning were

observed 12 months after thinning This is one of the best examples in Vietnam of an Acacia

plantation containing trees of quite uniform size and high levels of stem straightness The subjects covered are detailed in the programme (Appendix 2)

Plate 13: Mr Trieu teaches participants the rules that must be followed when thinning stands

in the Block 1 600 stems ha-1 treatment at the CARD Thinning Trial in Dong Hoi Plate 14:

Course participants in the Block 2 300 stems ha-1 treatment at the CARD Thinning Trial in

Dong Hoi Plate 15: Pinus merkusii (foreground) and Pinus caribea (background) of the

same age in a tree improvement trial at Dong Hoi Plate 16: A collar rot attacking and killing

P caribea in the Dong Hoi trial

General Discussion

The participants made the following points during the discussion:

• Thinning strategy was an important consideration for ensuring that tree growth rates and size were managed for the required end product;

• Thinning intensity may have effects on stem shape;

• A standard system was required for scoring stem shape (a system for scoring form was presented as part of the Extension Course notes (Appendix 2)

• Stocking up to 4000 stems ha-1

which often occurs in Vietnam is not necessary (the correct stocking at establishment remains uncertain but should probably be between 1000 [4 m × 2 m] and 1667 [3 m × 2 m] stems ha-1)

A second activity was a short visit to an area used for tree improvement trials:

• Eucalypt hybrid trial – various hybrid combinations are being tested;

• Pinus caribea and Pinus merkusii trials:

o Growth rates of P caribea far exceed those of P merkusii (the latter grown for high resin content) (Plate 15);

o P caribea quite severely affected by collar rot leading to eventual tree death (Plate

16)

Conclusion

Mr Long (Perfume River Wood processing Company), one of the participants gave a vote of thanks on their behalf He said that the main value had been in the large amount of new information that had been introduced to them and discussed He was aware that some of the participants were now ready to go back to plantations for which they were responsible and start testing some of the techniques that they had learnt

Dr Chris, Mr Hai and Mr Trieu then thanked the participants for their attention and

willingness to participate in an open discussion of the subjects covered during the course It was hoped that contact could be maintained in the future so that new information could be sent to them when it became available Mr Hai encouraged them to approach FSIV if they had particular questions that they wanted to raise

Comment

Mr Huy, a professional forester at the Provincial Forestry Service in Hue was asked to comment on the course content He indicated that the course materials had been fine for this audience as it was made up entirely of participants with at least some professional training in

an aspect of forestry If farmers had been the audience it would have been difficult for them

to understand a lot of the information He suggested the production of simple visual aids that could be used to illustrate the main points that we wanted to impart to participants when they were being spoken to in the field