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COMING EVENTS
RECENT NEWS ITEMSFFORNE was pleased to be invited by the Department of Primary Industries to take part in Timber Industry Strategy round table meeting on April 30, 2008.To view FFORNE's submission to the Timber Industry Strategy click hereAnnual FIELD DAYS are held by FFORNE. These days showcase new methods and techniques for plantations and forestry. Speakers and demonstrations of equipment take place on site. Field days are a great way of communicating between landowners who are interested in growing trees.
2007 THINNINGS FROM TUCK'S PROPERTY AT ALEXANDRA 2008 Frewin's property Violet Town. Assessing the wood in your trees & inspecting lower rainfall blue gum hybrids,
The field day participants at Jack Frewin's property gathered on June 21, 2008.
John Goldsmith, Chairman of FFORNE welcomed participants to the FFORNE Field Day. Philippa Noble, Director of FFORNE (left) organised the content of the day.
John Goldsmith, Chairman of FFORNE leads the participants to the tree trials on the Frewin property. (photo courtesy of Philip Kinghorn, Ballarat Region Treegrowers)
Graeme Stoney, General Manager (centre) of FFORNE spoke about how FFORNE is working for its members.
Philippa Noble and Bruce Sonogan explained the trial of Corymbia citriodora x maculata growing at Frewin's and their use as a sawlog tree.
Richard Noble explains his thinning machine, developed by him for use on a Burder front end loader. The Nobles hope that this thinning machine will be used widely among FFORNE growers for their plantations. FFORNE invested $5000 in the fabrication of this machine and encourages growers to contact the Nobles about its use.
A closer look at the thinning machine. The log grabs make it possible to hold the log while the blades cut the tree into desired lengths.
Clinton Tepper from Woollybutt (John Woodley, FFORNE Director on left) gave a presentation how to measure the volume of timber in your plantation. It is important to know the volume of timber in your plantation to ensure you get the best outcome with contractors. Using a laser measuring device, he is able to determine the height of a tree almost immediately. Using basal wedges he can determine the basal volume quickly within a test area. Clinton also spoke about the need for each plantation to have a PTP or permanent test plot. A PTP is measured annually and any irregularities (pest and disease control) are picked up quickly and then acted upon.
This photo shows the view through a basal wedge. You will notice the trunk of the tree is skewed when looking through the wedge. This tree will not be included in the calculations for basal volume. This basal wedge has a factor of 3, which means that however many trees in your sight do not skew like this one will be counted and multiplied by 3 to ascertain teh basal volume of the plantation.
CHRIS TUCKS THINNINGS AT ALEXANDRA
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