Bio-technology & Agroforestry - A Winning Combination!

26/06/2011

Our plantation managers are continually tracking the latest developments in bio-science. For instance, our plantation managers were one of the earliest pioneers globally to deploy mixed crop husbandry methods, known as agro-forestry and propagation methods such as seedlings grown from “tissue culture”. Tissue culture propagation is where tissue samples are taken from the very best mother plants and used to grow saplings in test tubes under lab conditions. Tissue culture propagation has the effect of dramatically reducing the time taken for trees to reach maturity and improves the end timber quality; consequently leading to earlier returns on investment previously not possible.

Agro-forestry in simple terms makes maximum use of the land by inter-planting various crop species, such as peppers, vanilla, potatoes and small trees such as agarwood, between the lines of the dominant canopy-providing tall trees such as teak. This myriad of flora and fauna creates a dynamic equilibrium and promotes increased growth rates, increases crop quality and improves soil fertility and bio-diversity, whilst also providing secondary revenue opportunities.

Agro-forestry with just two tree species is relatively common in Asia, but the additional mix of cover crops (permaculture) as listed above is is specialised and not such a common practice on commercial plantations today, largely because of the cost and intensive management. Poorly funded/managed plantation operations are grown as a single species (monoculture), which is bad for bio-diversity (a general measure of health for an ecosystem) and consequently monoculture plantations can be at risk of producing low-grade quality timber.

CONCLUSION - Returns are linked to the quality of the teak tree once matured. Quality can be ensured through tissue culture propogation but almost equally as important is that the your plantation managers know what they are doing and are using the very best husbandry techniques using the best fertilisers and creating good drainage beds. Don't leave your investment to chance - BUY THE BEST, EMPLOY THE BEST, ACHIEVE THE BEST!!!

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