Farm Forestry New Zealand
Forest Soils
- Radiata pine foliage sampling April 2018
Ground-based sampling of radiata pine in New Zealand forests. This is used to monitor tree nutrient levels, which can be good indicators of site fertility and tree health.
- Forest soils and productivity December 2016
The soil properties of planted forests – topsoil depth, soil structure, rooting depth, hard pans, erosion risk, soil texture, water holding capacity, nutrient supply – all have an impact on…
- Soils underpin the future of our forests
Simeon Smaill and Michelle Harnett, August 2017
Soil forms the foundation which supports the forestry industry. Managing the mix of minerals, microbes, moisture and organic matter which make up soil to get the greatest tree growth while…
- Foliage sampling season begins in February
Murray Davis and Jianming Xue, February 2010
Foliage analysis is needed to determine the nutrient status of a forest crop. This analysis is to identify the cause of a nutrient disorder or poor vigour, or to confirm…
- Digging the Good Dirt on Soil Bugs: Denis Hocking's blog, October 07, 2015
Volunteers Wanted: Scion soil scientist Simeon Smaill is looking for volunteers to help with a series of trials he is running around the country. He is looking at the effect…
- Making better use of forest soil microbes August 2015
Soil microbes can have a significant positive impact on forest performance, but we have few reliable options to enhance the benefits they can provide. A substantial new trial series has…
- What science is the forest levy providing farm foresters? April 2015
Growing Confidence in Forestry’s Future (GCFF) Research Programme: At the recent GCFF conference a wide array of results with direct relevance to farm foresters were presented by the scientists working…
- Trees, soil and you February 2015
A new survey has been released by Scion to capture current industry opinion regarding the value of soil data to forest managers, as part of the Growing Confidence in Forestry’s…
- Looking underground without digging a hole November 2014
Growing Confidence in Forestry’s Future (GCFF) Research Programme A new soil survey tool allows Scion scientists to assess below ground variation in soil properties using electromagnetic pulses. November 2014 The…
- Planted Forest Soils (Scion publication, August 2017)
Planted forest soils provide many benefits including growing timber and fibre, cleaning water through filtering, and regulating flooding by storing water. New Zealand has a wide diversity of soil types. They are generally young and naturally acidic with low levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulphur. Planted forests are typically on low fertility or steep terrain land that is not suitable for agriculture. Best management practices and ongoing improvements are needed for planted forest soils to continue to provide multiple benefits to New Zealanders. This includes maintaining fertility in a low nutrient input production system, especially as many of New Zealand’s planted forest soils are now supporting their third rotation There are also challenges in reducing soil loss through erosion in steep, erodible country, particularly during harvest.
- Planted-forest Nutrition
Davis, M., J. Xue and P. Clinton, Scion, 2015
- The occurrence and treatment of magnesium deficiency in radiata pine in New Zealand
FRI Bulletin No. 172, Hunter, I. R. (1996).
- An atlas of radiata pine nutrition in New Zealand
FRI Bulletin No. 165, Hunter, I. R., B. E. Rodgers, A. Dunningham, J. M. Prince and A. J. Thorn (1991).
- Field guide to nutrient deficiencies in radiata pine
FRI Bulletin No. 97 (Supplement), Will, G. M. (1985).
- Nutrient deficiencies and fertiliser use in New Zealand exotic forests
FRI Bulletin No. 97, Will, G. M. (1985).
Farm Forestry - Headlines
Article archive »
- Greater role for a public forestry service
Thursday, April 29, 2021
Media Statement from Hon Stuart Nash Minister of Forestry A greater role for a public forestry service has been outlined by the Forestry Minister, to drive the focus on regional…
- Expansion of Forest Service role a vital move
Thursday, April 29, 2021
The Forest Owners Association says the just announced creation of Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service heralds the potential to fix vital bottlenecks in the initial stages of the forest industry…
- Plantation forestry ranks best for land use
Thursday, April 15, 2021
The just released Ministry for the Environment’s latest environmental report scores exotic forestry highly for its low impact on soils. The MfE report identified exotic forests as the land use by far…
- The NZIF Foundation Awards & Scholarship Applications Now Open
Thursday, April 15, 2021
The NZIF Foundation is offering the following awards in 2021: Future Forest Scholarship for post graduate research of up to $10,000 Up to two scholarships available Otago Southland Award One or…
- Foresters celebrate scooping primary industry awards
Wednesday, April 14, 2021
The Forest Owners Association says taking out three of the four category prizes in the Primary Industries’ Good Employer Awards this week is a sign the forest sector has come…
- Log supply not the cause of timber shortage
Wednesday, March 31, 2021
Forest organisations have joined to reject statements that the current shortage of framing timber is caused by foresters selling logs to China and not leaving enough timber to be processed…
- Farm Foresters fired up to play a role in land use issues.
Monday, March 29, 2021
Farm foresters are now excited and fully informed to play a role in helping role solve NZ land use issues says the incoming association president, Graham West. They have just…
- Wairoa foresters forced to subsidise local meatworks
Thursday, February 18, 2021
Foresters in the Wairoa District are appalled that a part of their recent rate increase will go to propping up the local meatworks. Wairoa District Council disclosed at a meeting…
- Foresters say pines to be relied on to meet climate targets
Monday, February 01, 2021
The Forest Owners Association says the Climate Change Commission has endorsed the crucial role exotic forestry will carry out in meeting New Zealand’s net greenhouse gas emission targets in 2030…
- Forest Growers Levy rate to increase for the first time in seven years
Thursday, December 03, 2020
Directors of the Forest Growers Levy Trust have raised the rate on Harvested Wood Materials, for the first time since the levy was introduced by a forest grower referendum in…
- Forest Growers Levy Board increases Levy to 33 cents per tonne
Thursday, November 26, 2020
The Board of the Forest Growers Levy Trust has increased the Levy rate to 33 cents per tonne of harvested wood materials, the first increase in the Levy rate since…
- Minister's Roots In Forestry
Tuesday, November 24, 2020
The Minister of Forestry, Stuart Nash when speaking at the annual Farm Forestry Awards last Tuesday, announced he had started his career in farm forestry and as a student pruned trees…
- Forest industry says main political parties abandon forest industry
Tuesday, October 13, 2020
Forest industry says main political parties abandon forest industry at economic and environmental cost The Labour and National parties’ policies on forestry, leading into the election, are disappointing to forest…
- Taxpayers to pick up carbon cost if production forests are restricted
Friday, September 18, 2020
The Forest Owners Association says taxpayers are likely to have to pay billions of dollars for imported carbon credits, if planting production forests is to be restricted with the idea…
- Forest industry says government wood preference policy good for economy and environment
Tuesday, September 15, 2020
Forest owners say the government’s announcement of a policy to give preference to low greenhouse gas emission materials in government construction will be good for both the environment and for…
- Election forestry policy unnecessary
Tuesday, July 07, 2020
Right now, we are in a Covid-19 recovery phase and an election year. Farmers feel good about keeping the economy going, but are challenged by climate change, freshwater regulations and…
- New construction policy will deliver more timber use
Monday, July 06, 2020
The Forest Owners Association says the MBIE announcement of ‘Building for Climate Change’ will mean more timber is used in New Zealand construction. FOA President Phil Taylor says he’s been…
- Feds telling their members they can’t sell land for forestry
Sunday, July 05, 2020
The Forest Owners Association is startled that the new Federated Farmers Meat and Wool Chair is asking the government to restrict the right of farmer members to plant trees or…
- New business agreement with ForestX
Tuesday, June 23, 2020
NZFFA has negotiated a Referral and Collaboration Agreement with ForestX NZ Ltd, who provide transaction support for the sales of forests, land and standing timber. The seller pays a listing…
- Promised forest limit trashes zero carbon goals by at least 30,000 hectares a year
Monday, June 22, 2020
The Forest Owners Association says New Zealand’s carbon zero goal is seriously in doubt after a statement by the Minister of Agriculture, Damien O’Connor, that the government would ‘need to…
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