NZDFI makes the cover story in the issue 705 of timberandforestryenews.
With NZDFI’s cover story in Timber & Forestry eNews. the news is catching on.
The problem: mechanical harvesting of grapes results in high breakage rates of pine posts, meaning high replacement costs for growers and the subsequent expensive approvals necessary to dispose of posts in landfill sites.
However, a survey of durable eucalypt sawn posts that had been in situ for 10 years in six Marlborough vineyards determined that the posts were performing well with low levels of decay and breakage. Over a decade the NZDFI has been breeding and researching durable eucalypts as an alternative to Pinus radiata in vineyards. This and other NZ research suggests strong market prospects for eucalypt products.
In addition, an economic analysis by Crown Research Institute Scion determined that posts manufactured from durable eucalypt species would be cost-competitive when compared with posts made from pine (when disposal costs are factored in), and those made from other materials, including recycled plastic, concrete and steel.