Page 1 of 6 Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development Collaboration for Agriculture & Rural Development Project 033/05 VIE Field evaluation and advanced vegetative mass-propagation technology for scaling up high-value plantations of Pinus caribaea and related hybrids in Vietnam Milestone 9: Outputs 3.1 & 3.2: Large scale demonstration and community and individual farmer managed sites of Pinus caribaea Report Title: Demonstration scale plantings of Pinus caribaea in Vietnam March 2008 Page 2 of 6 1.0 INTRODUCTION CARD Project 033/VIE seeks to review existing experience with and performance of several tropical conifer species in Vietnam, particularly Caribbean Pine, and to establish further trials of improved genetic material, including hybrids. The project will also provide capacity building for forest research institutions relating to Pinus tree improvement and mass propagation systems via training in Queensland and Vietnam, development of small-scale hedge and nursery infrastructure, and a study tour to Australia, involving forest managers and researchers. Finally, the project will build awareness among large and small-scale forest growers including ethnic minorities, through the establishment of collaborative demonstration plantings in priority regions for Pinus plantation expansion in Vietnam, supported by appropriate training. Milestone 8 Report provides a summary of existing Pinus trials throughout Vietnam and highlights the excellent potential of Pinus caribaea in most regions. Milestone 4 Report provides information regarding the establishment of several new experimental scale trials of various Pinus taxa including Pinus caribaea and related hybrids. This Milestone 9 Report relates to Outputs 3.1 and 3.2 of the Project covering the establishment of demonstration scale plantings of Pinus caribaea with commercial forest growers and community and individual farmers. 2.0 SELECTION OF DEMONSTRATION SITES The selection of sites for demonstration sites is largely dependent on the level of co-operation, in-kind resources and long-term commitment to be provided by participating landholders. During the Project period, demonstration sites have been planted at the following sites: • Lac Duong, Lam Dong Province • Dak P’Lao, Dak Nong Province • Van Diem, Nam Dan, Nghe An Province • Cam Lo, Dong Ha, Quang Tri Province The latter two sites were planted adjacent to genetic trials (Refer Milestone 4 Report). Other potential sites discussed with project partners included Dak To (Kon Tum Province) and Ngoc Lac (Thanh Hoa Province), however plant shortages and difficulties in negotiating short and long-term in-kind resources prevented these sites being established. In the longer term, beyond the life of this Project, it is hoped that further demonstration trials will be established using cuttings becoming available from the pilot nurseries. The following sections provide an overview of the four sites planted to date. 3.0 FOREST COMPANY TRIAL, LAM DONG PROVINCE Pinus kesiya occurs naturally at high elevations (above around 900m) throughout the Central Highlands Region of Vietnam. For example it is the dominant pine in natural stands that are visible from the main range road up to Dalat, the capital of Lam Dong Province (Refer A1 & A2 in Attachment A). The forests near Dalat, and other high quality stands of P. kesiya, are protected within Lam Dong Province for watershed protection and conservation purposes. In addition to native forest areas, there are extensive P. kesiya plantations throughout Lam Dong Page 3 of 6 Province and other Central Highland Provinces, although the growth and form of these plantations is inferior to that observed in natural stands (A3 & A4). Pinus kesiya from both natural forest and plantation sources is an important source of building timber. (A5 – A8). Unfortunately, the rapid expansion of coffee plantations in recent years has resulted in the clearing of both natural and plantation forests of P. kesiya. (A9 & A10). In parts of Lam Dong Province, management responsibility for large areas of Pinus kesiya natural forest is transferring from the Government of Vietnam (Forestry Department) to private landholders and companies via the issue of long-term leases. Prior to the issue of long-term leases, an inventory of the forest (and other) resources within a particular lease area is conducted to form the basis of a long-term management plan. For example, a long-term management plan, ratified as part of the lease agreement, might include the following land use categories: • High quality natural forest –for watershed protection and conservation (no logging) • Medium quality forest – for periodic timber harvest and enrichment planting • Degraded forest and grassland – to be re-planted with high-yielding plantation species • Other cleared areas – for cattle grazing • Specific sites – for eco-tourism or other retail opportunities Staff from the Lam Dong Forest Research Centre are involved in the development of many such management plans for companies seeking long-term leases over forested areas in Lam Dong Province. Against this background, it was decided that a demonstration planting based on one of the new long-term company lease areas would serve as a useful demonstration site for other companies seeking to invest in the region. Details of the lease and demonstration planting are outlined in Table 1 and illustrated in images A11 to A23. Table 1: Forest lease area and associated pine demonstration planting Item Description District & Province Lac Duong, Lam Dong Province Area: 1,513 km 2 Population density: 16 persons / km 2 Location Approximately 45 minute drive north-east of Dalat on route 417 ( joins new highway to Nha Trang) Adjacent communes and villages Da Chais and Da Nhim Communes. The adjoining Dong Mang village, part of the Da Chais commune, supports 23 ethnic minority families with a total population of 226 people. Lease holder Paradise Company (Công Ty TNHH Tiên Thai) Latitude 12° 10’ 00’’N (approximate) Lease term 50 years (from 2007) Longitude 108° 28’00’’E (approximate) Elevation (m) 1,500 Climate 1,896 mm annual rainfall (rainy season May – October) Average annual temperature : 18° C Average annual humidity: 85% Soil Deep, red, well-drained, ferralitic Demonstration pine area Species: Pinus caribaea var. hondurensis (PCH) – non select – Queensland Pinus kesiya Area: Approximately 10 ha Date planted: October 2007 Spacing: Approximately 3m x 3m (1,111 trees per hectare) Page 4 of 6 4.0 SMALL SCALE COMMUNITY AND INDIVIDUAL FARMER TRIALS A small ethnic minority village near Dak PLao was identified during the initial Project planning visit as a potentially suitable site to establish some pine demonstration trials with the local community and individual farmers. Dak PLao is located in Dak Nong District within Dak Nong Province (previously part of Dak Lak Province) just over the border from Lam Dong Province and about 5 km north of the Highway 28 border bridge 1 on the Da Dang River. The District extends over 2,131 km 2 and supports a low density population averaging only 29 persons/ km 2 . The community comprises a mix of indigenous ethnic minority people as well as ethnic minority families from Vietnam’s northern mountainous areas that have recently re-settled in the area (Images B1 to B4). Staff from the Lam Dong Forest Research Centre are working closely with these groups as part of a broader community forestry project based on the surrounding forest. Image B5/5a is a map/legend showing the different forest types and planned uses for the Project Forest. The forest, totalling approximately 3,000 hectares, includes primary rainforest and pine forest, secondary forest, bamboo forest and degraded regrowth and grasslands (B6 – B9). A three year old PCH planting near the Dak PLao township is showing impressive growth (B10 & B11) and has provided encouragement for further planting of this pine in the local area. In December 2007 the CARD Project team inspected a recently planted Pinus caribaea var. hondurensis (PCH) demonstration trial on a previously cleared, very steep slope near the village (B12 – B14). Survival appeared quite good although follow up manual weed control will be required to promote good early growth. As part of the community forest project, a new forest station and forest nursery is being constructed on the edge of the Project Forest (B15 – B17). Once completed, it is the intention of the local managers to trial some of the nursery techniques developed as part of this CARD Project and to encourage the broader scale planting of Pinus caribaea var. hondurensis on steep degraded areas within the Project Forest Area in conjunction with the local community and individual farmers. 5.0 DEMONSTRATION PLANTINGS ADJACENT TO GENETIC TRIALS As mentioned earlier, two additional demonstration sites have recently been planted in conjunction with structured genetic trials. The genetic trials will enable the provision of statistically rigorous data while the demonstration plantings will enable the performance of several species and hybrids to be assessed in larger block plantings. Table 2 provides summary information regarding the two demonstration plantings. Attachments C and D are layout maps for the site in Nghe An and Quang Tri Province respectively. The primary commercial pine grown in these areas is Pinus merkussii. 1 This bridge will be submerged following construction of a planned hydro-dam in the vicinity Page 5 of 6 Table 2: Summary details for demonstration plantings in Nghe An and Quang Tri Provinces Nghe An Province site Quang Tri Province site Location Van Dien, Nam Dan Cam Lo, Dong Ha Local management Management Board of Nam Dan Forest Protected Areas Research Centre for North Central Vietnam Latitude (approximate) 18° 03’ 13’’N 16° 48’ 39’’N Longitude (approximate) 105° 09’ 09’’E 107° 00’ 17’’E Date planted 18/12/07 15/12/07 Spacing 3m x 3m 3m x 3m Site preparation Clear vegetation, remove stumps and plough Fertilizer (3 kg well-composted cow manure + 100g NPK)/tree 200g NPK/tree Area 2.7 ha 1.5 ha (less genetics trial) Species in demonstration pine trial P. merkussii PCH (Dai Lai) PCH (Queensland) PEE x PCH F2 hybrid (Qld) P. merkussii P.massoniana PCH (Dai Lai) PCH (Queensland) PEE x PCH F2 hybrid (Qld) PCH x PCB (Qld) PCH x PCC (Qld) Deleted: Annual Rainfall Deleted: ¶ [1] Page 6 of 6 6.0 CONTACTS Project Management, Vietnam Project Management, Australia Mr Phi Hong Hai Deputy Director Research Centre for Forest Tree Improvement Dong Ngac, Tu Liem, Ha Noi Phi.hong.hai@fsiv.org.vn Ph: 84 (0) 4 8389 813 Fax 84 (0) 4 836 2280 Mr Ian Last Manager, Plantation Development and Innovation Forestry Plantations Queensland P O Box 1339,GYMPIE, Queensland, 4570 Ian.last@fpq.qld.gov.au Ph: 61 (0) 754 820 891 Fax: 61 (0) 7 5482 3430 Demonstration Sites “Paradise” & Dak PLao, Lam Dong Province Mr Hua Vinh Tung Director Lam Dong Forest Research Centre 9 Hung Vuong, Dalat, LAM DONG Ph: 063 822 131 Fax: 063 829 852 Van Dien, Nam Dan, Nghe An Province Management Board of Nam Dan Forest Protected Areas Mr Le Dinh Minh Tel: 0380 822 106 Cam Lo, Dong Ha, Quang Tri Province Research Centre for North Central Vietnam Mr Hoang Minh Tam Page 5: [1] Deleted Lasti 3/10/2008 12:22:00 PM Annual Rainfall . mass-propagation technology for scaling up high-value plantations of Pinus caribaea and related hybrids in Vietnam Milestone 9: Outputs 3.1 & 3.2: Large scale demonstration and community and individual. 1 of 6 Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development Collaboration for Agriculture & Rural Development Project 033/05 VIE Field evaluation and advanced vegetative mass-propagation. building for forest research institutions relating to Pinus tree improvement and mass propagation systems via training in Queensland and Vietnam, development of small-scale hedge and nursery infrastructure,