A look a Wattles ....

2nd Dec 2003.

Steven Guth and Tony Fearnside interview Suzette Searle at the CSIRO Waterand Soils Division in Canberra. Suzette works as the Division's Communications expert. From 19?? To 200? Suzette was employed by the same Division to research Acacia growing.

The CSIRO is the Australian Government's research organisation

Acacias are a common plant in Australia with about 1,000 species found all over the large continent. Within each species there are subsets - providences - with different markedly characteristics.

There is now a site that gives information on wattles.

We asked Suzette,

Why is so little research done into wattles.

Because of their reputation. People think of wattles as short lived shrubs, useful for the garden. While the larger species are thought of as insect prone and so liable to fall over. They are also thought of as weeds - particularly by people who have cleared land for grazing. Their reputation works against them.

Acacias are a pioneer species. They grow very fast and have valuable characteristics. They are useful for so many other things.

In my years of research, what I tried to do was to give farmers a greater choice about what they could plant to satisfy various needs. There are large acacias, more than 10 metres tall, that can bring in farm income from sawn timber within a short time - wattles grow quickly. If people knew how acacias were used over seas they may give them more of a go here.

We have been helping the Chinese build up the best ever blackwood breeding program in the world. In the last ten years, they have done more than we have ever done. We had the material here ready, but no one did anything, because we could get all the blackwood we needed from our State forests.

We are so used to harvesting natural trees. When I was doing my research in the 1980's I wondered how they would go under cultivation. So I planted some field trials near here. I was also curious just how insects prone healthy wattles really are. I also wondered about their nitrogen fixing, leaf and seed pod mulching ability.

See some of Suzette research papers like the Cental Victorian Farm Network report that Suzette did on Black Wattles for farm forestry.

The exciting thing for me has been the realisation that you can grow very good timber in a short time - less than 15 years for 40 cm diameter logging timber. In 100mm climate ... its good dense wood, really something. High value timber. Not just fence posts, chip, charcoal, mulch, composite board, tannin.

I've seen a very impressive hybrid in the wild. Other people see them occasionally too. There is potential from hybrids, but one needs to find the best parents possible before you start on a research and breeding program.

Because money is so limited I wouldn't go down the hybrid track. I would try to find out more about existing variations - and there is a lot of it in most species. Than maybe I would consider hybridising ... to mix drought resistance with good timber quality - now that would be something!

Could one use wattles as part of a rotation cropping system.

Yes, in 12 to 15 years they have been planting mernsia in South Africa - in areas similar to Brisbane.

When you get into the drier areas, below 650mm, It is hard to find good wattle tree forms. You can grow shrubs which you can use for scrimbo, or cement and wood board, Cate Simple at ANU has been doing work in this. Cement/wood panels are popular in Japan because they are cheap strong and perform well in earth quakes.