by
Tim Vercoe & Stephen Midgley
Australian Tree Seed Centre
CSIRO Division of Forestry
PO Box 4008, Queen Victoria Terrace ACT 2600
AUSTRALIA
INTRODUCTION
It is estimated that Australian tree and shrub species now constitute some 30% of all trees planted in tropical areas of the world. They are used for everything from commercial timber and pulp through to soil stabilisation and honey production. The Australian Tree Seed Centre (ATSC) is entering its fourth decade as a focus for the collection and evaluation of this tree and shrub germplasm. From a request in the early 1960's by FAO to the Australian Government for a Eucalyptus seed and information centre, the ATSC has grown to include a wide range of multipurpose trees of Australian origin and now holds about 30 000 accessions comprising 1 000 species from several thousand collection sites. Eucalypts make up about half the species in the collection while multipurpose genera represented include Acacia, Casuarina, Grevillea, Melaleuca, Sesbania and Terminalia. Most accessions come from natural populations but the Centre is establishing and managing an expanding range of seed orchards.
The Centre is self funded from specialised grants, training activities, sale of seed and information. Staff numbers rise from about 15 to 20 during peak collection periods.
PAST AND PRESENT ACTIVITIES
Germplasm collection, documentation and dispatch
Over the last 5 years, an average of 40 person-months per year have been spent in the collection and
documentation of tree and shrub seed. Collections have taken place across all Australian states and in the
neighbouring countries of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea in collaboration with scientists from these
countries. Collections from wild populations are most common and trees are selected for genetic
representation. Minimum standards for numbers and separation of parent trees are strictly enforced. Seed
of an increasing number of collections is available by individual mother trees. The collection plan is
dynamic and responsive to the demands of clients and sponsors but major plans are done every two
years. Overseas collections are conducted in a manner consistent with the proposed FAO Commission on
Plant Genetic Resources voluntary Code of Conduct for Germplasm Collection and Transfer. (FAO Plant
Production and Protection Division, FAO Rome, 1993).
Seed is collected from natural stands rather than plantations, unless otherwise specified; minimum spacing is 100m between seed trees. All seedlots, including those purchased from other collectors, meet given minimum standards for documentation. Minimum documentation requirements include information on: requirements, location of collection (including latitude, longitude and altitude), date of collection, number of trees in collection. For ATSC collections additional documentation includes, soil data, associate vegetation information, tree descriptions, phenological data, photographs and botanical specimens.
Seedlots are processed and packaged to meet the hygiene requirements of recipient countries prior to dispatch with each dispatch recorded for future reference. Figure 1 shows the proportion of seedlots sent to various regions around the world.
Figure 1. Summary of seedlots dispatched by regions, 1992/93.
Germplasm evaluation
The ATSC is fortunate to have a home within a larger research organisation, the CSIRO Division of
Forestry, with associated access to a broad range of research results and advice across a variety of
scientific disciplines. The Centre maintains a modest research program associated with the seed orchard
program, isoenzyme evaluation of several key species and seed germination and storage requirements.
In addition to in-house evaluation activities The ATSC contributes to Divisional research programs in
silviculture, genetic variation, breeding systems, floral biology, climatic analysis and micro-propagation.
Recent projects include:
planning, coordination and review of international provenance trials (Acacia aneura, A. auriculiformis, A. mangium, Casuarina equisetifolia, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, E. grandis, E. tereticornis, E. urophylla, arid zone acacias, Grevillea robusta);
isoenzyme studies of E. urophylla, E. pellita, A. holosericea, A. mangium (collaboration with FRIM)1, A melanoxylon (collaboration with ANU)2, Casuarina equisetifolia, and Grevillea robusta;
seedling morphology studies of A. auriculiformis, E. urophylla, E. pellita;
assessment of non-wood products including fodder, human food, essential oils and soil amelioration;
genetic improvement and breeding strategy work with A. auriculiformis, A. mangium, A. mearnsii, A. aulacocarpa, E. grandis, E. globulus, E. camaldulensis, E. urophylla, E. pellita and Grevillea robusta;
screening of Australian rainforest species for recalcitrance;
assessment of fungal contaminants in stored seed;
seed supply to the ACIAR3 forestry program in Asia and East Africa.
Through this last activity, CSIRO Division of Forestry is assisting in the evaluation of a very broad range of genotypes in the field. Bilateral collaborative agreements with China, Thailand, Laos, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Pakistan have resulted in the establishment of more than 200 species, provenance and progeny trials of more than 150 species. These include species for industrial forestry, agro-forestry and planting on degraded land.
The ATSC maintains seed orchards totalling over 34 ha of A. auriculiformis, A. mangium, A. aulacocarpa, E. grandis, E. pellita and E. urophylla in collaboration with the Queensland Forest Service and the Conservation Commission of the Australian Northern Territory. These orchards provide a base for breeding and evaluation work as well as being ex situ conservation areas.
The Centre is also collaborating in a new initiative to develop molecular markers for study of genetic variation in Acacia mangium.
Training
Training is offered by the ATSC at three levels: workshops and seminars within and outside Australia, individual training in seed technology and professional attachments. The training workshops have been focussed on a number of priority areas including nursery techniques, x-ray radiography, tree breeding and improvement, and databases (seed and tree performance).
The professional attachment program allows collaborating scientists time and resources to evaluate and communicate results of experimental work. The program has resulted in several excellent reports on phenology in Thailand, eucalypt provenance performance in Mozambique, acacia performance in Malaysia and Grevillea performance in Rwanda.
Information supply
A key role of the ATSC is the supply of information relating to the selection, performance, improvement, silviculture and use of Australian species. The ATSC responds to about 2500 enquiries each year - for every enquiry for seed, four enquiries for information are received. This advisory function and information supply is provided at no charge and is supported by project inputs and sale of seed. Numerous books and publications have been produced and the ATSC is developing computer based decision support systems to assist in site evaluation and seedlot selection and species/provenance suitability.
Access to germplasm
There are currently no restrictions to research access to Australia's forest genetic resources. In keeping with the Convention on Biological Diversity, these are considered to be the property of human-kind and are shared on mutually agreed terms. Therefore there are no restrictions on access to the materials held, however, funds are required for their maintenance and expansion. The ATSC specialises in small seedlots for research and tree improvement and maintains a complex scientific facility. It does not have the turnover of large seed orders which sustain other commercial suppliers of seed.
The ATSC is self-funded and must recover costs to remain operational. The Centre manages several projects which fund the dispatch of seed to forestry researchers in many parts of the world to alleviate the financial restrictions which might otherwise apply. These projects are described in more detail below. Where project funds are not available, researchers requiring seed from the ATSC may be asked to contribute to the costs of collection, processing and storage. This contribution may be through exchange of genetic material, feedback of information on the performance of the seedlots dispatched and, more commonly, financial reimbursement. Commercial ventures and donor funded projects are expected to pay for their seed in the same way as these projects pay for petrol, labour, equipment and supplies. The average cost of seed as a proportion of total project costs is typically less than 1 % and, as high quality seed is central to any tree planting program, it should not be included as an after-thought.
Researchers wishing to obtain seed should contact the Officer in Charge of the ATSC at the address given above to discuss requirements.
PROJECTS FUNDING SEED SUPPLY
Seeds of Australian trees
This project has been funded by AIDAB4 and now operates with ACIAR5 support. It provides support
for seed, information, literature and training to developing countries. The guidelines for eligible
countries are fairly flexible but are broadly directed at countries falling within the OECD classifications
of ‘Least Developed’, ‘Lower Income’ and ‘Lower Middle Income’. Researchers unsure of their status
should contact the ATSC for consideration.
Improvement of tree productivity in SE Asia.
This project is funded by AIDAB but is directed specifically towards Casuarina equisetifolia (seed
collections and trials) and acacias for dryer parts of southeast Asia and for climate modelling technology.
The project supports some training in tree improvement and climate mapping as well as provision of
some seed for trials.
Other funding agencies
Several bilateral and multilateral development agencies have funded supply of seed to researchers. The
ATSC will assist with the development of proposals to funding agencies for the supply of seed.
Consignee funded orders
Where project funding is not available for seed procurement, researchers can discuss their requirements
with the ATSC staff and should be prepared to make a contribution to the running costs of the ATSC via
the purchase of seed. The general advisory function for species and provenance selection is free and,
again, supported by sale of seed.
CONCLUSION
In the 1950's FAO promoted its agricultural seed policy through the slogan, ‘Good seed does not cost -it pays’ and this remains true for forestry. Tree planting projects in forestry and agro-forestry rely heavily on the quality of the genetic material planted for their success. It costs just as much to plant a poor quality seedling as it does to plant superior genetic stock but the end products can be scientifically, materially and economically very different. Users of these genetic resources should be prepared to contribute to the costs of exploration, collection and supply of germplasm and supply feedback on performance. Ownership and access to the world's plant genetic resources are complex current issues and have received considerable attention by FAO's Commission on Plant Genetic Resources and in the Convention on Biodiversity. Australia's forest genetic resources are a valuable resource for many tropical and sub-tropical countries and, through the Australian Tree Seed Centre, they have been made available without restriction. Providing the Centre can continue to secure resources to explore, collect and distribute these genetic resources to mutual benefit, researchers will continue to receive high quality advice and germplasm.
References
FAO 1993 Code of Conduct for Plant Germplasm Collecting and Transfer. (Approved by the Commission on Plant Genetic Resources at its Fifth Session held in Rome, 19–23 April 1993). FAO Plant Production and Protection Division, FAO, Rome, Italy.
Forest Genetic Resources Information no. 21. FAO, Rome (1993)
Manuscript received June 1993
1 Forest Research Institute of Malaysia
2 Australian National University
3 The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research
4. Australian International Development Assistance Bureau
5. Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research
