wnn@ornl.gov (Wolfgang N. Naegeli) (12/11/90)
I received the following through native net and repost it here to see whether anyone has comments about it, in particular about the ecological/environmental impacts of growing powton in monocultures outside of its native range, and perhaps good ideas how powton could be grown in polyculture. ************************************************************** Wolfgang N. Naegeli Internet: wnn@ornl.gov Bitnet: wnn@ornlstc Phone: 615-574-6143 Fax: 615-574-6141 (MacFax) QuickMail (QM-QM): Wolfgang Naegeli @ 615-574-4510 Snail: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6206 ************************************************************** The Age, Good Weekend, Nov 17 1990, pp101. (advert) DOES MADAM TONG HOLD A KEY TO REDUCING RAINFOREST DESTRUCTION? (Madam Tong Quing Juan, Senior Agricultural Scientist at the Chinese Academy of Forestry) As you read this what's left of the world's rainforests is being cleared as if there's no tomorrow. Why? The reasons are many and complex, but one of them, at least, is simple. They're free. A free source of fine quality timber for veneering, panelling, furniture and joinery. A source that must be replaced. Urgently. The seeds of an idea whose time has come: In 1945 China suffered a shortage of timber and, lacking foreign exchange, no easy solution was in sight. Since time immemorial the elegant, deciduous flowering Paulownia had been treasured for it's light, stable and finely figured timber. But its time had come. Its growth was too slow. In their wisdom, the Chinese would never sacrifice a living treasure to progress, so painstakingly they brought Paulownia into the 20th century. Forty years later the species had been transformed through endless trialling and development into fast producing clones capable of turning a national shortage into a modest exportable surplus. The Paulownia becomes the powton: In 1986 the timeless hills of China merged with the misty hills of Mount Dandenong. Farm Fodder Trees Australia, a small but enthusiastic nursery, became the only successful suitor to the Chinese Academy of Forestry (ahead of various foreign governments and companies) for plant rights to the new Paulownia. A joint venture was born. Since, 16 varieties of Paulownia have been trialled on 800 diverse sites on Australia's eastern seaboard. Forty distinct clonal varieties have been developed and now thrive in their new home. And with Australian naturalisation came a new name, the powton. The powton. It can help save more than rainforests: Taiwanese, Japanese and Korean demand for paulownia timber now runs at $500 to $2500 per cubic metre. Capable of producing millable timber within 5-17 years, the Farm Fodder Trees as yet unreleased Powton super clones are probably the world's fastest growing commercial trees. Which means Australia's timber producers could rapidly turn a timber importing deficit into a profitable export surplus. Thus we could grow our economy while conserving Australian and Asian forests. Last year alone, we imported hundreds of millions of dollars worth of rainforest timbers all replaceable by the powton. The powton also helps rehabilitate depleted and non productive land. Its salt resistance, rapid growth and deep roots can reduce salinity, reduce erosion, and lower water tables. But the powton can't do it alone: Reafforestation is an enormous project. To realise the powton's potential as a forestry timber, a coordinated government and industry programme is needed. As yet it's not forthcming. Fortunately the powton has another trick up its sleeve. It's self funding. material, Madam Tong has developed a magnificent domestic powton clone. This rapidly growing floral shade tree has received an overwhelming reception from gardening enthusiasts Australia wide. Its success enables us to become one of what must become many enterprises dedicated to finding productive ways of reducing demand on the world's finite rainforest resource. This is where you come in: You're invited to come and witness developments first hand. Observe the science of tissue culture, bask in the shade of a 3 year old, 7 metre powton and quietly listen to them grow as you're overcome by the same missionary zeal that keeps us growing. You may even take one home and help protect rainforests by raising an ecologically sound, income producing answer to our future timber requirements. In your own backyard. If you'd like to raise your consciousness of the powton project a little further, contact Chris Lucas at Farm Fodder Trees on 03 7512277 or visit our nursery at 27 Hume Lane, Mount Dandenong, open 7 days a week. You may even be stirred to your very roots. And that's a most intriguing experience. ***************************************************************** I spoke briefly to Chris Lucas on the phone. The powton needs good drainage and high rainfall - other short falls may be overcome by agro-forestry methods such as adding potash. According to Eden seeds - deep roots allow intercropping..... God knows where this is all leading......my insights are a bit vague today - thought it would provoke some thought anyhow. Cedrus Deodara