ArborGen - More Wood. Less Land.

Short Rotation Loblolly
Short Rotation Loblolly Pine is a product being developed for the United States and Brazil. It is built upon our varietal platform, combining the highest quality base germplasm from the varietal program with the value-enhanced trait of improved growth. In the United States, ArborGen is targeting a reduction in the rotation length of Loblolly Pine from 23 years to 18 years with a yield of 12 to 15 green tons/acre/year while maintaining wood quality. The next generation of this product will target reducing the rotation from 18 years to 15 years with an average of 14 to 18 green tons/acre/year.

For Brazil, the target for Short Rotation Loblolly Pine is to reduce the rotation from 18 years to 14 years for the first generation and to 10 years for the next generation product. With this rotation, we are targeting a productivity to 18 to 21 green tons/acre/year. For the next generation product, the target is to increase to 25 to 30 green tons/acre/year.

Short Rotation Radiata
ArborGen expects that the same growth genes that work to produce the Short Rotation Loblolly Pine will also be effective in Radiata Pine. Potential improvements include a reduction to 22 years with an average of 15 green tons/acre/year. The next generation target is to reduce the rotation to 18 years with an increase to 18 green tons tons/acre/year. Plans are to market Short Rotation Radiata Pine in Australia and New Zealand.

Short Rotation Populus
Short Rotation Populus is a product that combines elite germplasm and growth genes to increase the biomass yield. The target for this U.S. product is to reduce the rotation to eight years for the first generation and to six years for the next generation of trees. Currently, the productivity in Populus is 12 green tons/acre/year. Targets include an increase to 14 to 17 green tons/acre/year for traditional pulpwood management systems and to 15 to 18 green tons/acre/year for a biomass management system.

Short Rotation Eucalyptus
Short Rotation Eucalyptus is a product for both Brazil and the United States. It is designed to increase the growth rate of elite Eucalyptus germplasm and enable the harvesting of the wood in four to five years versus the current seven year rotation with a corresponding increase in productivity to 25 to 30 green tons/acre/year. This product includes ArborGen lead growth genes. Improving productivity will not only benefit the pulp and paper producers in Brazil, but should also generate value to the charcoal industry.