University of Tasmania, Australia

This project was Australia’s first large-scale peeling trial for plantation E. nitens. This species makes up most of Tasmania’s plantation hardwood resources. For the project, plantation pulp logs of different ages were selected from forests around the state, peeled in a state-of-the-art industry facilities, assembled into plywood and the resultant material assessed.

The project was designed to provide baseline data on veneer quality and plywood properties of fibre-managed plantation E. nitens grown in the state. It also sought to:

• identify the genetic parameters that affect quality of rotary-peeled veneer and plywood to guide selection of families for future breeding programs and to examine the compatibility of breeding for potentially conflicting objectives
• assess the effectiveness of an acoustic sorting strategy and potential gain from segregation of logs for veneer and plywood production

The project provided significant baseline information on plywood properties and veneer quality and the genetic parameters that underpin them, and likely modifications needed to current forestry and industry production practice. It found that:

• The recovery of fibre managed E. nitens into face grade material suitable for plywood was zero, making it unsuitable as a stand-alone plywood resource.
• Viable processing of short-rotation (16yr) unpruned E. nitens will depend on increasing average stiffness properties through genetic selection of superior families, use of acoustic sorting strategies, process optimisation and stiffness grading and alignment of veneers in panel construction.
• Estimates of genetic correlations indicated that breeding programs that have improved pulp yields in plantation E. nitens have also improved desirable properties for RPV engineered wood products.
• High stiffness and strength values for E. nitens 26yr plywood panels, suggest opportunities for E. nitens resource on longer rotations.