Nghiên cưu khoa học nông nghiệp " Field evaluation and advanced vegetative mass-propagation technology for scaling up high-value plantations of Pinus caribaea and related hybrids in Vietnam - Milestone 10 " potx

Page 1 of 4


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 10:
Outputs 1 - 3: Objective competency assessment of Vietnamese stakeholders
(institute staff and nursery managers) in tree improvement strategies, establishment
and management of hedge and container nursery systems, and establishment and
management of demonstration sites




Report Title:

Competency assessments

September 2008

Page 2 of 4
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 aims to 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 seeks to 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.
This Milestone 10 Report provides an objective competency assessment of Vietnamese
stakeholders relating to the three main Project objectives: Pinus tree improvement, nursery
techniques and establishment and management of demonstration sites.

2.0 PINUS TREE IMPROVEMENT
Objective 1 for this Project was to:
Identify, for the benefit of existing and prospective pine growers in Vietnam, the most highly
productive, well-adapted varieties and hybrids of Pinus caribaea
, in comparison to other pine
species currently planted, for priority pine planting zones.
The Key Performance Measures (KPMs) are:
• Existing trials reviewed
• New trials established
• Pine breeding strategy and related capacities reviewed and strengthened
The Project enabled a co-ordinated review of performance data from existing Pinus trials and

related germplasm, resulting in a report by Dr Mark Dieters from the University of Queensland.
(Refer Milestone 8). The report provides suggestions for the continued improvement of P.
caribaea in Vietnam, which would logically be co-ordinated by the Research Centre for Forest
Tree Improvement (RCFTI), part of the Forest Science Institute of Vietnam (FSIV). RCFTI
researchers have demonstrated an excellent capacity to develop and implement tree improvement
strategies as is evidenced by impressive achievements in developing other commercially
important trees species such as several Eucalyptus and Acacia species, particularly Acacia
hybrids. As well, they manage several existing Pinus tree improvement programs including P.
merkussii and P.kesiya. They have also selected elite trees from local Caribbean pine trials and
plantings.
The Project also included some technology transfer initiatives relating to Pinus grafting and
pollination techniques used in Queensland, including the provision of two detailed “How to”
posters and power point presentations on these matters. These resources complement existing
Vietnamese knowledge and will help to build institutional capacity.
In addition to data collation and re-measures on existing trials, the Project resulted in the
establishment of further genetic trials comparing a range of local and Queensland Pinus taxa. If
RCFTI staff and their collaborators managing the various trials at the local level continue to
maintain and periodically collect data from these trials, they will provide an important future
resource to update Vietnam’s Pinus tree improvement strategy.
Page 3 of 4
3.0 PINE CUTTINGS VIA HEDGES AND CONTAINERISED NURSERIES
Objective 2 for this project was to:
Based on proven technology and systems in Queensland, provide practical training and support
to forest research institutes in Vietnam to enable the development and local adaptation of hedge
and containerised nursery systems for the mass propagation of containerised pine cuttings.
The Key Performance Measures are:
• Trained personnel able to establish and manage hedge beds, collect and set shoots and
raise container cuttings.
• Locally adapted Nursery Manual and related checklists developed
• Three pilot scale hedge and containerised nursery facilities established

As part of Objective 2, the Project provided several training opportunities to Vietnamese institute
staff and nursery managers relevant to the development and management of pine hedges and
containerised nurseries. Following intensive training of four Vietnamese in Queensland over a
two-week period in June 2006 (including competency assessments at all stages of training), the
trainees and associated nursery managers co-ordinated the construction and operation of pilot
hedge and nursery facilities in three locations (Ba Vi, Phu Ninh and Dalat). Some months later in
May 2007, on-site training courses were conducted at Ba Vi and Dalat for a wider group of
Vietnamese institute staff and nursery managers. The training covered aspects of general nursery
planning and site layout, nursery hygiene, establishment and maintenance of pine hedges,
collecting and setting cuttings, potting mix formulations and container types and stock-raising
including watering, irrigation regime and pest and disease management.
Follow up competency assessment, involving completion of a multiple choice question test, has
recently (July 2008) been completed by the participants in both of the nursery training courses.
The results of this assessment (attached) indicate that there has been a generally high level of
knowledge retention since the courses were conducted in May 2007.
To help build capacity and promote a consistent approach, a nursery manual was developed
based on the Forestry Plantations Queensland Manual, but with some aspects tailored to
Vietnamese conditions. It was also translated into Vietnamese. The manual, together with several
operational nursery staff “Checklists” that are based on the manual, provides a valuable resource
for on-going competency assessments.
During a follow up visit by Queensland project staff in November/December 2007, it was
evident that two of the pilot hedge areas (Ba Vi and Phu Ninh) had suffered heavy losses in
hedges during the preceding hot summer months. Hedges have been re-established over much of
the Ba Vi site and techniques changed slightly to (hopefully) reduce the risk of future hedge
deaths. As well, advice was provided regarding watering and light regimes after cuttings had
been set and rooting has started.
Separate to the CARD Project, FPQ has recently developed an informative video based on the
Toolara Nursery in Queensland which illustrates many of the techniques, practices and
equipment and safety issues associated with raising exotic pine cuttings. A copy of this video,
including a transcript, was recently provided to RCFTI. It is hoped that this resource will assist

with further capacity building beyond the life of the Project.
In summary, it is considered that the institute staff and nursery managers involved in this Project
have developed adequate skills and capacity to establish and maintain hedge and associated
containerised Pinus cuttings nursery systems, despite the early setbacks experienced at two of
the pilot nurseries.
Objective 3 for this project was to:
Page 4 of 4
Create improved awareness amongst rural poor smallholders (particularly central highland
minorities) and industrial forest growers in key pine growing regions, regarding the potential
performance of improved varieties of Caribbean pine (including hybrids where appropriate) to
supply a range of forest products and services via the establishment of large scale demonstration
plantings in collaboration with local land owners / forest growers.
The Key Performance Measures (KPMs) are:
• Establish two demonstration trials with a large scale forest grower
• Establish community and individual farmer managed plantings in collaboration with local
ethnic minority community near Dak P’Lao, Dak Lak and Lam Dong FRC
As detailed in the Milestone 9 report, demonstration trials have recently been established at:
• 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
For the first two sites, staffs from the Lam Dong Forest Research Centre have been involved in
the planning and establishment phases of these trials and will provide ongoing support to the
local landholders to promote good early survival and growth. Based on the good performance of
other pine trials initiated by staff from Lam Dong FRC and inspected by the Queensland Project
leader during several visits to Vietnam, it is reasonable to assume that Lam Dong FRC, working
with their various collaborators, can competently maintain the various trials that they have
helped to establish as part of this Project. The newly constructed Forest Office at Dak P’Lao, and
the on-site facilities to be established by the Paradise Company near Lac Duong, will provide
additional technical support to assist the long-term performance of these trials.

The demonstration trials at Van Dien, Nam Dam (by Management Board of Nam Dan Forest
Protected Areas) and Cam Lo, Dong Ha (by Research Centre for North Central Vietnam) have
been established in conjunction with adjacent genetics trials. They will be managed by the local
forest station staff in conjunction with RCFTI staff who will periodically visit them to collect
growth, survival and tree health data from the genetic trials. Since these groups maintain many
other trials as part of their on-going tree improvement programs throughout Vietnam, it is
reasonable to expect that these pine trials will be tended at least as well as other tree
improvement trials, provided adequate resources are committed to these tasks, especially during
the next few years.