PIRSA Forestry offers the following advice and services:

• Forestry advice
• Species selection
• Low rainfall tree improvement
• Seedling orders
• Marketing advice
• Agroforestry News
• Forestry Development newsletter
• Field days
• Farm forestry toolbox
• Other advice and services

Forestry Advice

PIRSA Forestry staff members have a wide range of skills and experience in forestry development and the provision of information and technical support. We provide technical and research support from the initial establishment through to harvesting of trees.

To ensure the success of each plantation, management plans are provided at establishment, along with on going monitoring and advice. PIRSA Forestry maintains links with current growers, ensuring that their experiences are used to continually improve the way plantations are managed in South Australia.

Species Selection

Choosing appropriate species for the site is important. PIRSA Forestry can assist with appropriate species, highlight additional benefits and estimate approximate returns. Potential tree species can include the radiata pine, eucalypts, casuarinas and acacias.

Radiata pine can be used for peeler logs, sawlog, preservation products, and woodchip for particle board, medium density fibreboard or pulp and paper whilst the native species are intended for use as sawlog, furniture timber and firewood.

Woodlots also provide shade and shelter for stock and crops and can be strategically located to maximise other additional benefits.

Low Rainfall Tree Improvement

PIRSA Forestry is also part of the Australian Low Rainfall Tree Improvement Group (ALRTIG), a national research group that is developing tree species for commercial low-rainfall plantations. The species that PIRSA Forestry is trialing include:

• Corymbia maculata - spotted gum
• C. varietaga - spotted gum
• Eucalyptus cladocalyx- sugar gum
• E. occidentalis - flat topped yate
• Pinus pinaster - maritime pine

Seedling Orders

PIRSA Forestry provides a seedling order service to landowners establishing forestry species on their properties on Kangaroo Island and the Upper and Lower South East. This is in an effort to ensure that landowners have access to credible nurseries, quality seedlings, and improved genetic stock. PIRSA Forestry contact a number of nurseries regarding availability of seedlings. We provide the nurseries with specifications for the seedlings so that only the best planting stock is supplied. We assist in coordinating deliveries.

Seedling orders need to be received in the year prior to planting. For pines, orders need to be placed by September and eucalypt orders need to be placed by December. Seedling orders will be accepted after this time, but quantity and choice of species may be limited.

To place a seedling order, please contact PIRSA Forestry

Marketing Advice

The radiata pine industry is based in Mount Gambier in the South East. The long distance from the Upper South East along with small and fragmented forestry blocks restricts the viability of marketing and harvesting this resource. PIRSA Forestry is intending to collate the radiata pine forest information to produce a cut-plan. The age, area, location and growth/volume of all forestry blocks will be scheduled and made available to the various harvesting, marketing and sawmilling companies in the South East.

PIRSA Forestry can provide the details of those companies who harvest, market and mill timber.

Agroforestry News

Agroforestry is about farmers growing trees. For more than ten years Agroforestry News has provided practical and up-to-date information on all aspects of agroforestry and farm forestry to thousands of land owners and their supporters. Most subscribers are members of a regional agroforestry or farm forestry network. Agroforestry News is owned and managed by a community group representing the interests of farmers who grow trees. It is a quarterly publication that is available through PIRSA Forestry

Please contact PIRSA Forestry to enquiries about the quarterly publication of "Agroforestry News".

Forestry Development Newsletter

This is a quarterly newsletter that PIRSA Forestry writes to inform growers of areas of interest for that quarter. This newsletter highlights the latest staff news, forest health issues, seedling orders, and the latest developments in biodiversity matters. For all previous newsletters please check the Publications Index 

Field Days

PIRSA Forestry are at the South East and Lucindale Field Days in the Primary Industries and Resources South Australia tent. PIRSA Forestry also attends the Kangaroo Island Field Day. Personnel from our group are available to discuss all your farm forestry queries from forest establishment, management and harvesting advice, biodiversity corridors and general information on the forestry industry.

We hold specific field days at demonstration sites to inform farm foresters about a range of topics. We promote these field days through our Forestry Development newsletter and also publicise them through mail-outs, local newspapers, and on the radio.

To ensure that the field days that PIRSA Forestry organise are relevant to farm foresters we encourage your input and ideas. Please contact PIRSA Forestry with any ideas for field days.

Farm Forestry Toolbox

Private Forests Tasmania has developed a farm forestry toolbox to assist farm foresters to undertake financial analysis of stands of trees. PIRSA Forestry has a number of CD's with version 4.0 of the farm forestry toolbox. Please contact PIRSA Forestry to get a CD to help you better keep records of your plantations and undertake financial analysis of them.

Other services

PIRSA Forestry can provide advice that includes, but is not limited to the following:

• suitability of land and species for farm forestry
• soil surveys and site assessment
• establishment and management planning
• mapping and plantation layout
• weed control and fertiliser requirements
• thinning and pruning options
• forest health
• insect and disease control
• fire protection
• forestry contractors
• harvesting contractors.        

For further information please contact PIRSA Forestry