Acacia hybrid: an alternative species for future industrial plantation
2007
Ahmad Zuhaidi Yahya | Hashim, Md Noor | Rosdi Koter | Alagendran @ Alan
The source of current raw materials for the wood-based industries is depending mainly from the supply of natural hardwood forests. The trend is slowly changing as the supply from natural hardwood forests is rapidly declining as the remaining forests areas are to be conserved for flora and fauna, water catchments and climatic control. The past scenario utilizing only bigger size logs is becoming scarce as timber processing mills are willing to accept smaller size logs from planted forests including Acacia mangium, Endospermum malaccense, Khaya and Hevea species. As a results of increasing demand of smaller size logs, an areas of Acacia plantations, formerly planted in the early 1980s and matured rubber stands in Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak and Sabah are slowly decreasing as most of them are currently being harvested as raw materials for the manufacturing of furniture, pellets, and an even sawn timber. In view of acute logs shortages and with th e advance of research, new clones including the Acacia hybrids are discovered having better resistance to diseases, improved timber properties, fast growth and better yield. The field testing of selected A. hybrids in various locations in Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah has produced results in favour of commercial planting as compared with A. mangium. This paper highlights the potential of the hybrids as an alternative species to replace A. mangium species to be planted under the planned forest plantation programme by the government.
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