Current Projects

IPMG

BFP is an active member on the Industry Pest Management Group (IPMG), a cooperative of plantation growers, with the aim of minimising economic loss due to pests and diseases by sharing information and collaboration outcomes among its members and by conducting research toward development of commercial, economic and environmentally sustainable, efficient operational methods of managing pests and disease.

The IPMG has been instrumental in raising awareness of industry participants in plantation insect phenology, carrying out research to determine insect threshold levels before for economic loss occurs and building on the established pest/pathogen database sets. In addition, the IPMG have recognised the importance of research in the areas of coppice management for the second rotation. With this in mind, further research is planned to quantify pest populations and damage levels under differing harvest debris regimes within second rotation coppice stands.

Industry collaboration

BFP has joined with other plantation companies within Western Australia to look into the development of new silvicultural regimes for the management of second rotation coppice stands. Generally, little research has been undertaken in this area in Australia and WA plantation growers lead the way with the development of new operational practices.