Eucalyptus fastigata: its current status in New Zealand and breeding objectives for the future

Eucalyptus fastigata is currently the most promising species of eucalypt planted in New Zealand due to its better disease resistance and wood machinability. A breeding programme for E. fastigata was established in New Zealand in 1979 with the planting of a progeny/provenance trial series containing material collected from native Australian provenances and 2nd generation local land race material from New Zealand and South African populations. A second series containing additional Australian and South African material was planted in 1994. Landrace material from New Zealand did not perform well compared to Australian and South African populations, suggesting early introductions to New Zealand originated from poor seed sources and/or suffered from inbreeding. Analysis of these trials has provided base genetic parameters for this species providing direction for the next generation of the breeding programme. Predicted genetic gains of 15% for tree form and diameter for the 1979 series, and gains of 8% for diameter and 12% for malformation for the 1994 series, indicate the potential for increases in both tree form and growth rate.