We successfully tracked the identities of more than 550 selected 13-year-old trees from a Eucalyptus nitens (Deane & Maiden) progeny trial through tree felling, harvesting of butt logs, and sawmill processing to finished sawn boards using a two-stage approach. To track log identity from the standing tree to the log yard, we used a numbered under-bark wooden identification plug, glued into a hole drilled in the trunk prior to harvesting. To track tree identity for individual sawn boards, log-end templates with corresponding tree identification numbers were glued to the log ends before milling. Materials and methods used withstood harvesting and debarking, log transportation, milling, air and kiln drying, steam reconditioning, and final machining. A second study confirmed the success of the under-bark plug method to successfully track 548 selected standing trees through harvesting and transportation to the mill.
Contributor Notes
The authors are, respectively, Research Associate, Univ. of Tasmania and Cooperative Research Centre for Forestry, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia (david.blackburn@utas.edu.au); Research Program Manager, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia (chris.harwood@csiro.com); National Technical Manager, Gunns Limited, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia (Trevor.Innes@gunns.com.au); and Research Scientist (Tree Improvement), Forestry Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia (Dean.Williams@forestrytas.com.au). This paper was received for publication in October 2010. Article no. 10-00048.