The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) Was Established in June 1982 by an Act of the Australian Parliament
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The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) was established in June 1982 by an Act of the Australian Parliament. Its mandate is to help identify agricultural problems in developing countries and to commission collaborative research between Australian and developing country researchers in fields where Australia has a special research competence. Where trade names are used this does not constitute endorsement of nor discrimination against any product by the Centre. ACIAR PROCEEDINGS This series of publications includes the full proceedings of research workshops or symposia organised or supported by ACIAR. Numbers in this series are distrib uted internationally to selected individuals and scientific institutions. Previous numbers in the series are listed on the inside back cover. © Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research G.P.O. Box 1571, Canberra, A.C.T. 2601 Turnbull, John W. 1987. Australian acacias in developing countries: proceedings of an international workshop held at the Forestry Training Centre, Gympie, Qld., Australia, 4-7 August 1986. ACIAR Proceedings No. 16, 196 p. ISBN 0 949511 269 Typeset and laid out by Union Offset Co. Pty Ltd, Fyshwick, A.C.T. Printed by Brown Prior Anderson Pty Ltd, 5 Evans Street Burwood Victoria 3125 Australian Acacias in Developing Countries Proceedings of an international workshop held at the Forestry Training Centre, Gympie, Qld., Australia, 4-7 August 1986 Editor: John W. Turnbull Workshop Steering Committee: Douglas 1. Boland, CSIRO Division of Forest Research Alan G. Brown, CSIRO Division of Forest Research John W. Turnbull, ACIAR and NFTA Paul Ryan, Queensland Department of Forestry Cosponsors: Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) Nitrogen Fixing Tree Association (NFTA) CSIRO Division of Forest Research Queensland Department of Forestry Contents Foreword J .. R. McWilliam 5 Summary of Discussions and Recommendations J. W. Thrnbull 7 BIOWGY AND ECOWGY Australian acacias; taxonomy and phytogeography L. Pedley 11 Potential of Australian acacias from arid and semi-arid zones J. E. D. Fox 17 Genetic resources and utilisation of Australian bipinnate acacias (Botrycephalae) D. J. Boland 29 Distribution and ecology of Papua New Guinea acacias David J. Skelton 38 Acacias and their root-nodule bacteria R. J. Roughley 45 Inoculation of acacias with mycorrhizal fungi: potential benefits Paul Reddell and Rosemary Warren 50 Reproductive biology of acacias M. Sedgley 54 AUSTRALlAl'I RESEARCH Treatments to promote seed germination in Australian acacias J. C. Doran and B. V. Gunn 57 Micropropagation of Acacia mangium and Acacia stenophylla D. F. Crawford and V. J. Hartney 64 Australian acacias for saline, alkaline soils in the hot, dry subtropics and tropics L. A. J. Thomson 66 Salt tolerance of Australian tropical and subtropical acacias N. Aswathappa, N. E. Marcar, and L. A. J. Thomson 70 Selecting Acacia species for testing outside Australia Trevor H. Booth 74 Growth rates, establishment techniques, and propagation of some central Australian acacias P. D. Kube 77 Acacia species trials in southeast Queensland, Australia P. A. Ryan, M. Podberscek, C. G. Raddatz, D. W. Taylor 81 Growth rate of selected Acacia in north and southeast Queensland, Australia G. B. Applegate and D. I. l'Iicholson 86 Australian acacias for pulpwood A. F. Logan 89 Fodder potential of selected Australian tree species T. K. Vercoe 95 Nutritive value of Acacia foliage and pods for animal feeding A. V. Goodchild and N. P. McMeniman 101 Cyanogenic Australian species of Acacia: a preliminary account of their toxicity potential B. R. Maslin and E. E. Conn 107 Contribution of Australian acacias to human nutrition Tony M. Orr and Les J. Hiddins 112 3 RESEARCH IN orHER COUNTRIES Use of Australian acacias in North Africa M. H. EI-Lakany 116 Introducing Australian acacias in dry, tropical Africa Christian Cos salter 118 Growth of Australian acacias in Tanzania B. S. Kessy 123 Status of Australian acacias in Zimbabwe D. P. Gwaze 126 Black wattle (Acacia mearnsil) in Zimbabwe l. E. Luyt, L. J. Mullin, D. P. Gwaze 128 Australian acacias in Sri Lanka S. J. Midgley, K. Vinekanandan 132 Australian acacias in the People's Republic of China Pan Zhigang, Yang Minquan 136 Relationship between chlorophyll content, photosynthesis and biornass production in Acacia and Eucalyptus seedlings Sun Jisheng 139 Acacia species and provenance trials in Thailand K. Pinyopusarerk and B. Puriyakorn 143 Improving Acacia auriculiformis through selection and breeding in Thailand K. Pinyopusarerk 147 Introduction of Acacia mangium to Thailand B. Boontawee and P. Kuwalairat 149 Introduction of Acacia species to Peninsular Malaysia S. K. Yap 151 Growth of Acacia mangium in Peninsular Malaysia J. Raci and Zakaria Ibrahim 154 Development of Acacia mangium as a plantation species in Sabah M. P. Udarbe and A. J. Hepburn 157 Growth of Acacia mangium throughout Sabah K. I. Thomas, G. A. Kent 160 Research on Acacia mangium in Sabah: a review Sim Boon Liang 164 Growth of acacias on a logged-over forest in Sabah Anuar Mohamad 167 Nursery and establishment practices for Acacia mangium in Sabah Barry R. Poole 170 Survival rates of direct seeding and containerised planting of Acacia mangium Rahim Sulaiman 173 Field trials of fast-growing, nitrogen-fixing trees in Thailand Kovith Yantasath 176 Performance of Australian acacias in Hawaiian nitrogen-fixing tree trials James L. Brewbaker 180 Use of acacias in Fiji Peter G. Zed 185 Seed production and silvicultural trials of acacias in Papua New Guinea David J. SkeIton, Neville H. S. Howcroft 188 Australian acacias in Kenya S. Y. S. Kaumi 191 Participants 193 4 Foreword The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) was es tablished to help identify priority problems requiring agricultural and forestry re search in developing countries, and to support collaboration with Australian scientists who have a demonstrated capacity to assist in their resolution. Workshops are one of the primary avenues for identifying where ACIAR might most effectively implement this mandate. The genus Acacia includes about 1200 species of trees and shrubs with a natural distribution in Australia, Asia, Africa and the Americas. Over 800 of these species are endemic to Australia. A few are planted extensively outside their natural range for timber, pulpwood, tannin, fuelwood and erosion control; others are little known but have attributes that suggest they could be more widely utilised to improve the well being of people in developing countries. In many countries, the critical shortage of fuelwood in rural communities, and the need for multipurpose trees to be integrated into agricultural systems has required a reappraisal of tree and shrub species available for planting. \10st acacias produce excellent firewood and charcoal, and have the potential to become a component of farming systems providing wood, shade and shelter, and soil improvement. Australian acacias possess many attributes which characterise successful exotic trees. They are adapted to a wide range of tropical environments including acid infertile soils, saline and arid sites; and can be readily established and managed. They have the ability to fix biological nitrogen and many are pioneer species with high rates of growth, especially when grown outside Australia. The aims of the workshop were: firstly to bring together current knowledge on the taxonomy, genetic resources, ecology, silviculture and utilisation of Australian aca cias of interest to developing countries; secondly, to identify the most important problems and constraints preventing greater use of the Acacia resource; and finally, to identify research needs and priorities around which ACIAR might develop collab orative research projects. The workshop was sponsored by ACIAR, as part of its Forestry Program and by the Nitrogen Fixing Tree Association. ACIAR wishes to thank the Queensland Department of Forestry and CSIRO Division of Forest Research for their assistance in organising the workshop and the associated study tours to southeastern and northern Queensland. The 65 participants came from Australia, The People's Republic of China, Fiji, Italy, Kenya, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tanzania, United States, and Zimbabwe. Our thanks to those who presented a total of 43 papers which when published will form a valuable new reference source for the genus. We would also like to thank Reg MacIntyre for his valuable contribution to the editing of the proceedings. J. R. McWilliam Director ACIAR 5 Summary of Discussions and Recommendations J. W. Turnbull* Participants at the workshop demonstrated that the Australian acacias may play a dual role in developing countries contributing to industrial forestry plantations, for timber, pulpwood and tannin, and at the village level in the provision of fuelwood, land rehabilitation and as a eomponent of agroforestry systems. In most countries research on acacias has been confined to very few species. It was agreed that research in countries where acacias grow, or have the potential to grow, be strengthened in view of the very considerable socioeconomic benefits which can flow from their cultivation. High priority must be given to the exploration and critical evaluation of the genetic resources, and international support and cooperation will be needed for this activity. More intensive studies of the biology, silviculture, management and utilisation of acacias will be essential