In Chile Nippon Paper Industries has started to plant clone trees of Eucalyptus globulus, which has excellent quality and quantity of fiber for paper. Clone trees in plantation, aiming for growing trees with uniform properties and providing stable raw material resources, is the first case in the world. The company also has started to support the micropropagation project for the Eucalyptus species in Chile.

 

1. Clone Eucalyptus Plantation

In November, 1997, Nippon Paper Industries and its affiliated company,Volterra. S.A., started to plant clone trees of Eucalyptus globulus in Chile. These trees have been growing favorably since then. Nippon Paper Industries has involved in development of clone trees production system for plantation,aiming at producing wood fiber for paper making. These Eucalyptus plantlets were applied by the photoautrophic culture system*,which is the original method of Nippon Paper Industries. Thanks to this method, the company could succeed to propagate Eucalyptus globulus that has been considered to be difficult to multiply. Also, since the origin of Eucalyptus globulus for the plantation was selected as superior clone in Chile, these trees are expected to grow faster. The actual planting clonal Eucalyptus globulus was the first time in the world,and it is regarded to be the first step for the commercial plantation.

 

Site of plantation	:	The Eighth Province (South of Conception) , the Republic of Chile
Areas planted	:	1 ha
Plan for the future	:	To Expand plantation areas gradually,while applying this technology to the company's other existing plantations (tree farms).

 

*Photoautrophic Culture System

The practical method to propagate clone trees. As compared with the conventional propagation method, its productivity will increase considerably.

Because of applying this technology, Nippon Paper Industries could succeed in propagating the Eucalyptus species which are regarded to be difficult to date.

 

2. Technical Support for the Universidad Austral de Chile

Although plantation such as Eucalyptus globulus has been done on a large scale in Chile, applying the clonal technology is much expected to increase the yield of wood fiber for paper. In order to realize the clonal propagation practically, establishing the efficient production method is necessary. From these backgrounds, the Universidad Austral de Chile has been operating the Eucalyptus clonal micropropagation project since 1997.

The technology of Nippon Paper Industries has been adopted to this project, and Nippon Paper Industries invited a researcher from the university to study the company's technology,while the company sent its staff members to support the project.

Nippon Paper Industries continues to support this project expecting this technology would provide benefits to Chile. For the company, this project means to assure its wood resources for the future paper making. The company also plans to expand its micropropagation technology in other countries.

 

Actual Support to date	:	Inviting a researcher from the Universidad Austral de Chile for 6 months
	:	Sending two staff members from Nippon Paper Industries for 8 months totally

 

Outline of the Universidad Austral de Chile Clonal Micropropagation Project

 

Objective	:	Clonal Micropropagaion of Superior clone of Eucalyptus globulus by Tissue Culture
Participated Companies	:	Monteaguila S.A Mininco S.A. Angol S.A. Los Lagos S.A. Reginales S.A. Volterra S.A. (affiliated company of Nippon Paper Industries)
Plan	:	1996-97 The first phase :Transfering the technology and propagating  plants provided by each company. 1998- The second phase :Producing and selling plantlets from  micropropagation