AFTER receiving funding from Forest and Wood Products Australia, the Southern Tree Breeding Association (STBA) will be able to kick off a new research project set to start this week.
The funding will allow the STBA to consider using molecular markers, or DNA of trees in conjunction with the usual performance data they’re already collecting from trees including the growth rate of a tree, as well as its diameter.
STBA general manager, Tony McRae said the funding would be a big step for TREEPLAN, assisting in improving accuracy significantly.
“We’ll be able to take the DNA level data and further complement the field data we have,” he said.
“It will improve our data accuracy, predictions will be better and will give the program a marginal kick.”
