Pine - Blogs
- Why pruning/clearwood is one of our major competitive advantages: Denis Hocking's blog, June 14, 2022
Most members will be only too aware of this, but sometimes I feel it is worth restating and discussing the obvious. I will start by pointing out that knot free…
- Why I became, and remain, a clearwood advocate: Wink Sutton's Blog, October 04, 2019
Only recently have I become aware of the concept of unique special product or proposal. However, I now realise that for most of my forestry life I have been seeking…
- Too understood to merit a mention?: John Purey-Cust Ponders, December 01, 2018
In my present abode I don’t see much of trees, but a few days ago I had a chance for a short walk under my beech plantings. Now over 20…
- Live radiata pine stem needles must be removed at pruning: Wink Sutton's Blog, November 28, 2018
On a recent Bay of Plenty field day, questions were asked about the need to remove live stem needles at the time of pruning. If live stem needles are not…
- Is there a case for timely pruning?: Wink Sutton's Blog, May 29, 2018
Two principles have emerged from a lifetime of plantation management research − That the size and the quality of trees at harvest are determined by the decisions at the time of…
- How Should We Manage Our Radiata Pine?: Denis Hocking's blog, May 21, 2017
At a couple of recent conferences we have had speakers urging higher stocking rates to increase total recoverable volume and returns from plantations. A recent paper by John Moore &…
- Forests take little from the soil: Wink Sutton's Blog, February 27, 2017
Particularly since the conversion or trashing of second or third rotation radiata stands to make room for dairy farming, we no longer hear claims along the lines that stands of…
- Plantations can be very productive: Wink Sutton's Blog, November 29, 2016
On a visit to Poland in 2006 one of my Polish forester hosts was adamant that plantations of non-indigenous trees could not be as productive as plantations of indigenous trees.…
- Monocultures are natural: Wink Sutton's Blog, August 29, 2016
Some environmentalists have criticised plantations because they are almost always monocultures. Monocultures are claimed to be unnatural. Are they? Is there evidence that monocultures do not occur in nature. This…
- We need intensively managed plantations: Wink Sutton's Blog, May 29, 2016
Wood is the world’s only environmentally friendly and sustainable raw material. There are current global proposals for a significant increase in wood use such as in the manufacture of biofuels and…
- Radiata pine wood quality: Denis Hocking's blog, June 20, 2014
Radiata pine may be an easy and productive timber species for us to grow, but it has long been recognised that the timber does have a number of quality problems.…
- Radiata pine not Pinus radiata: Wink Sutton's Blog, November 29, 2013
When I first joined forestry in the late fifties, radiata pine was regularly called either insignis pine or by its botanical name, Pinus insignis. It was not uncommon for the…
- A question about log exports: Wink Sutton's Blog, August 30, 2011
During the business section of the 2011 AGM in Masterton earlier this year Allan Laurie asked a very relevant question. Allan’s question was along the lines ‘what are we doing…
- Initial spacing in radiata pine: Wink Sutton's Blog, May 29, 2007
Recent silvicultural improvements, such as seed source – almost all seed now comes from seed orchards – nursery practice, tree handling, planting methods, weed control and the adoption of regimes…
Farm Forestry - Headlines
Article archive »
- Future forests need to be multifunctional to meet climate change in Tairawhiti
Thursday, March 16, 2023
The Farm Forestry Association says the just convened Ministerial Inquiry, into land-use across Tairāwhiti, needs to look closely at the tree options for shoring up vulnerable farm and former forest land in…
- Hill country farming campaign shows they think climate change is someone else’s problem
Thursday, March 09, 2023
The Forest Owners Association says the latest campaign against forestry, led by Beef+Lamb New Zealand and 50 Shades of Green, is climate change responsibility denial, and is dangerous in the…
- Forest Owners says two months too brief to look into the complex land issues in Tairawhiti.
Thursday, February 23, 2023
The Forest Owners Association says the two month long inquiry into land use in Tairāwhiti doesn’t give enough time or depth to find solutions. The Prime Minister, Chris Hipkins has…
- Forest Owners want genetic technology approved
Thursday, February 16, 2023
The Forest Owners Organisation says New Zealand needs to concentrate on the safety of genetic technology on a case-by-case basis rather than persisting with blanket bans. The FOA wants approval…
- Fieldays Forestry Hub to demonstrate that forestry is a solution
Monday, November 28, 2022
A range of solutions to farmers’ current problems will be on display in the Fieldays Forestry Hub near Hamilton between 30 November and 3 December, says Farm Forestry Association president,…
- Innovative uses of forestry and wood products unveiled at Fieldays
Thursday, November 24, 2022
New and innovative uses of forestry and wood products will be on display at 35 stands in the Fieldays Forestry Hub near Hamilton between 30 November and 3 December, including…
- Pine conspiracy needs reality check
Thursday, November 10, 2022
Farm Foresters are saying journalists and commentators need to educate themselves about the reality of plantation forestry. The FFA President, Graham West says ‘Frequent anti-pine rants on Newstalk ZB and…
- Farming’s forestry hysteria
Sunday, October 30, 2022
Beef &Lamb NZ and Federated Farmers media release on recent results of an opinion survey on forestry offset adds to the misuse of information that’s building alarm and public hysteria…
- Foresters ask James Shaw if the government wants more trees or not
Tuesday, October 11, 2022
Foresters are saying a suggestion by Climate Change Minister James Shaw to centralise buying carbon credits in central government, and decoupling the Emissions Trading Scheme from forestry, is a message…
- NZFFA submission on Industry Transformation Plan
Thursday, October 06, 2022
The Ministry for Primary Industries has issued a draft Forestry and Wood Processing Industry Transformation Plan. This is a welcome contribution and appears to be well researched, but we feel…
- RECOGNITION FOR FORESTRY’S HIGHEST ACHIEVERS IN 2022
Sunday, September 18, 2022
This week at an awards dinner held in Auckland the New Zealand Institute of Forestry (NZIF) announced the winners of its three most prestigious awards. The 2022 recipients are acknowledged…
- Wooden cities key to cutting worldwide carbon emissions to combat climate change
Tuesday, September 13, 2022
The Forest Owners Association President is predicting massive increases in the worldwide demand for engineered timber construction. Grant Dodson has told delegates at the Forest Institute Conference in Auckland today…
- Forestry Transformation Plan could be ‘game changer’
Sunday, August 21, 2022
Forestry Transformation Plan could be ‘game changer’ for New Zealand economy and for combating climate change The Forest Owners Association says the Forestry and Wood Processing Industry Transformation Plan has…
- New campaign launches to attract more people into forestry careers
Wednesday, August 10, 2022
A new recruitment campaign called ‘Find Your Fit In Forestry’ aims to draw attention to the varied career opportunities available in the growing forestry industry. A sector-wide initiative, the campaign…
- Trees on Your Farm – Pilot Workshops
Friday, July 01, 2022
In May, members of the NZFFA held three pilot workshops in the lower North Island aimed at encouraging hill country farmers to grow more trees. The format was a day…
- Federated Farmers struggling with both the law and arithmetic
Thursday, June 30, 2022
The Forest Owners Association says Federated Farmers have got their sums wrong on the rate of forest planting and don’t understand the law on overseas investment either. FOA is responding…
- New Zealand Future Foresters part of the launch of Global Network for Forestry Young Professionals
Sunday, June 12, 2022
Future Foresters New Zealand is supporting a global effort to unite forestry young professionals to promote, grow, and raise awareness of the importance and opportunities of the forest sector. The…
- Forest Owners say native trees are nice but won’t solve the Climate Emergency
Tuesday, May 17, 2022
The Forest Owners Association says the just released Emissions Reduction Plan is a welcome and unprecedented blueprint for reducing New Zealand’s gross emissions. But the Association is warning that a…
- ‘Smart spade’ one of new technologies for forest silviculture project
Thursday, May 05, 2022
A ‘smart spade’ which identifies exactly where to plant a tree seedling is just one of the new technologies in the seven-year $25.5 million Precision Silviculture development project. The newly…
- Forest Owners call for forest trade mission to India
Monday, April 11, 2022
Forest Owners call for forest trade mission to India following approval of new fumigant for log exports The Forest Owners Association wants a delegation of government ministers to urgently go to…