Provenance Performance of Chukrasia in a Five-Year-Old Field Trial in the Northern Territory, Australia

122 Performance of Chuckrasia in the Northern Territory Provenance performance of Chukrasia in a five-year-old field trial in the Northern Territory, Australia B.V. Gunn1,2, K. Aken1 and K. Pinyopusarerk1 1Ensis, PO Box E4008, Kingston, ACT 2604, Australia (Ensis is a joint venture of CSIRO and Scion) 2Email: [email protected] Revised manuscript received 9 February 2006 Summary eastern Asia; major uses include fine furniture, turnery, doors, windows, light flooring and plywood (Ho and Noshiro 1995). In an experimental planting using seedlots from a range of provenances of Chukrasia tabularis and C. velutina established Chukrasia is deciduous and typically 20–25 m in height, but it can at Berry Springs near Darwin in the Northern Territory, Australia, grow to 40 m tall and over 120 cm in diameter at breast height (dbh) C. velutina had significantly faster growth. The trial consisted of (Kalinganire and Pinyopusarerk 2000). Boles are generally straight 16 seed sources from natural stands in China, Laos, Myanmar, with large convex buttresses up to 150 cm above the ground. Thailand, Vietnam, and seed from a stand already planted in Chukrasia velutina is reported to be the smaller of the two species, Darwin. The early performance and variability of species and with a fissured rough and corky bark in drier deciduous forests. By seedlots were assessed at 5.3 y of age for height and diameter contrast, C. tabularis occurs in moist evergreen rainforest and is growth, axis persistence associated with apical dominance and readily distinguished by its smooth bark (Gardner et al. 2000). single-stem growth, stem straightness, bark character, incidence The genus Chukrasia has a wide natural distribution in southern of suckering and damage by termites or shoot borers. There were Asia (Kalinganire and Pinyopusarerk 2000) (Fig. 1). The significant differences between seed sources for most growth latitudinal range is from about 27°N to the equator, and the traits. Trees of the rough corky-barked C. velutina, originating altitudinal range is 20–1450 m. The mean annual temperature is from deciduous forests, grew faster than those of the smooth- 14–27°C with an absolute minimum temperature of 3–10°C. The barked C. tabularis, which occurs naturally in moister environ- natural habitat of Chukrasia is lowland evergreen rainforest, ments. The landrace from Darwin was intermediate in bark texture moist-evergreen forest or deciduous forest (Ho and Noshiro between the two species and had poor growth. The best 1995). Over most of its natural distribution, Chukrasia occurs in provenance of C. velutina had a mean height of 7.6 m and diameter areas with a mean rainfall of 1100–3800 mm and a dry season of of 10.6 cm at age 5.3 y, a growth rate showing potential as a 1–4 mo annually (Mabberley and Pannell 1989; Ho and Noshiro plantation species for the wet–dry tropics of northern Australia. 1995; Wasuwanich 1999). More and longer-term trials are needed to predict the performance and between-seed-source variation in growth, wood traits, Chukrasia is regarded as a potential choice for high-value timber silvicultural characteristics and resistance to shoot-tip borer plantations in many countries, including China, Laos, Malaysia, (Hypsipyla robusta) across a range of environmental conditions. Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam (Kalinganire and Pinyopusarerk 2000), with tropical environments matching that of the natural Keywords: forest plantations; provenance trials; survival; growth; height; diameter; suckering; insect resistance; stem form; bark; Chukrasia; occurrence. However, no significant plantation areas are known. Australia Chukrasia has been trialled in countries including Cameroon, Nigeria and South Africa in Africa and Puerto Rico and Costa Introduction Rica in Central America (Streets 1962; Ho and Noshiro 1995). In Australia, it has been tested at the species level in the Atherton The genus Chukrasia A.Juss. belongs to the family Meliaceae. It region of northern Queensland and in the Northern Territory (NT) is a member of the subfamily Swietenioideae within the tribe between Darwin and Katherine, without regard for the potential Swietenieae, which includes other important genera such as differences between C. velutina and C. tabularis. An unpublished Entandrophragma, Khaya, Lovoa and Swietenia (Kalinganire et report on a species trial established at Howard Springs near al. 2002). There is uncertainty in the literature whether Chukrasia Darwin in 1969 indicated the need to further test Chukrasia. consists of one or two species, namely C. tabularis and C. velutina. For the purpose of this paper two species of Chukrasia Preliminary results are available of a domestication strategy to are recognised. Both species are potentially important multi- identify superior germplasm of Chukrasia, involving scientists in purpose trees in southern and south-eastern Asia. The wood from Australia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam (Pinyopusarerk the natural forest fetches high market prices, especially in south- and Kalinganire 2003). The straightness of the bole and self- Australian Forestry 2006 Vol. 69 No. 2 pp. 122–127 B.V. Gunn, K. Aken and K. Pinyopusarerk 123 70°E 80°E 90°E 100°E 110°E 120°E 130°E 30°N NEPAL PAKISTAN PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA BANGLADESH 3 5 7 6 MYANMAR 8 4 TAIWAN 13 12 LAOS 20°N 10 2 11 PHILIPPINES 1 INDIA 15 THAILAND 16 14 CAMBODIA VIETNAM ANDAMAN ISLANDS 10°N SRI LANKA MALAYSIA 9 AUSTRALIA 0° INDONESIA Figure 1. Natural distribution of Chukrasia and sources of seedlots used in the trial at Berry Springs, Northern Territory, Australia pruning habit was confirmed, making the tree suitable for closest meteorological station, is 1935 mm, and this falls mainly plantation forestry. Repeated damage by the shoot tip borer between November and March. Annual temperatures range from Hypsipyla robusta resulted in loss of bole growth, proliferation a monthly mean maximum of 32°C to a monthly mean minimum of branching and loss of apical dominance. of 23°C, with an absolute minimum of 12°C. No frosts are recorded. Annual rainfall at the trial site over the 5 y of the trial Our objective was to assess the potential of Chukrasia as a was 1378–2453 mm, averaging 1900 mm. The soil is a medium- commercial species in Australia and to determine the extent of textured clay loam with a pH of 6.0 derived from a ferric, genetic variation between provenances. We report survival, mesotrophic, red Kandosol. The site is flat with a slight depression growth, stem form, bark characteristics, suckering and insect on the northern edge, which is subject to seasonal flooding due damage to trees from different seed sources at 5.3 y of age in the to a hard clay pan that impedes tree growth and survival. The first comprehensive provenance trial in this country. The work experimental site had previously been cleared of native trees. was undertaken in an area of the NT where the climate matches that in the natural occurrence. Experimental design Method The experiment used a randomised complete block design, with four replicates each containing 16 plots arranged in 2 rows of 8 Planting material columns. There were 25 (5 × 5) trees in each plot spaced at 3 m × 3 m. Two boundary rows of the same species were planted A field trial was established at Berry Springs near Darwin in 1999 surrounding the experiment. Planting holes were dug by hand using seedlots collected from a range of natural provenances. using a mattock and seedlings were planted in April to May 1999, The planting stock comprised 15 natural provenances from China, the end of the wet season. Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, represented by bulked seedlots comprising 6–30 parent trees, and one landrace from Tree management Darwin (Table 1 and Fig. 1). Records suggest the Darwin landrace Trees were irrigated with button drippers during the first two dry originated from Sri Lanka and was probably collected as seed seasons. After the first dry season, dead trees were replaced with from a single parent tree. Seedlings were raised in a nursery as seedlings of Pterocarpus. Trees were pruned to the base of the containerised seedlings. crown to facilitate access by a tractor to mow the grass. Experimental site Assessment The experimental site is located at the Kietells Homestead, Berry At age 5.3 y all living trees were measured for height and diameter Springs, south of Darwin (latitude 12°43' S, longitude 131°02' E, at 1.3 m above ground; survival was derived from these data. altitude 40 m asl). Mean annual rainfall for Howard Springs, the Australian Forestry 2006 Vol. 69 No. 2 pp. 122–127 124 Performance of Chuckrasia in the Northern Territory Table 1. Origins of provenances of Chukrasia established at Berry Springs, Northern Territory, Australia Species and map CSIRO No. of Latitude Longitude Altitude Rainfall Provenance location Country reference no. seedlot no. parents (° ' N) (° ' E) (m asl) (mm) C. tabularis 01 20030 Shanya, Hainan I. China 10 19 10 109 30 045 1700 02 20031 Jianfengling, Hainan I. China 10 18 42 108 49 065 1800 03 19660 Hoa Binh Province Vietnam ? 21 00 105 20 (400) (2000) 04 20033 Hoa Binh Vietnam 10 20 25 105 28 100 2200 05 20034 Son La Vietnam 06 20 50 104 45 900 2000 06 20035 Thanh Hoa Vietnam 10 20 21 105 08 050 1800 07 20036 Tuyen Quang Vietnam 09 22 00 105 10 075 1900 08 20105 Pak Baeng Oudomxay Laos 08 20 45 101 53 750 09 Darwin Landrace (ex Sri Lanka) 0(1) C. velutina 10 20099 Moeswe Pyinmana Myanmar 10 19 57 095 58 209 1200 11 20100 Ledagyi Leway Myanmar 10 19 50 095 57 220 1200 12 20101 Popa Kyaukpadaung Myanmar 10 20 53 095 10 180 0660 13 20102 Khin Aye Pale Myanmar 10 21 56 094 53 155 0710 14 20117 Khao Bin, Ratchaburi Thailand 30 13 35 099 40 230 0900 15 20118 Mae Phrik, Lampang Thailand 12 17 29 099 17 180 (1000) 16 20119 Kamphaengphet Thailand 10 16 20 090 16 180 1100 ( ) = estimated Table 2.

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