“We, Brazilians, have always been looking for alternatives to timber production involving species of high commercial value, especially, species coming from other countries. Some endeavors have been attempted over the last 30 years, without however being committed to the appropriate genetic basis and always without gains in volumetric increments, resistance to pests and diseases, as well as the quality of the obtained shaft. I do not know of any success story in these endeavors, but rather, failures and losses involving those who tried. There has always been fashionable species!
Two years ago I came in contact with the BELA VISTA FORESTRY project, concerning the production of Toona ciliata (Australian cedar) clonal seedlings. What a good surprise! Thankfully, they managed to get genetic materials from different origins and different breeder trees of this kind through the CSIRO (an Australian Research Department). In addition to setting a base population of this species in Brazil, they careful studied it over the years and through cloning, by rooting cuttings, they produced different clones considering those and other forestry parameters. Thanks to wide variety of plant material evaluated, they now have plants originated from sites of different altitudes and rainfall rates. These conditions make it easier to the seedling customer to check whether or not his/her region may receive some of the selected clones.
It is a unique endeavor, of great importance to reforestation wood producers, which has become a significant reference for Brazilian forestry. “
