A newly funded forestry research project is aiming for a precision approach to growing New Zealand's most common plantation tree, radiata pine.
Scion is leading the project, which has won more than $20 million of Government funding over six years.
Research and investments general manager Russell Burton says the aim is to enhance the productivity of pinus radiata forests and grow them in the most sustainable way, using technology that will allow the industry to target individual trees.
With modern technology, he says, it is possible to identify trees in the same way that a farmer might know each one of his stock by number.
Mr Burton says it's enormously helpful to the wood processing industry if it knows more about each individual tree, because that makes it possible to target logs into specific applications.
