Starting a Discussion: Is this a replacement for Eucalyptus plantation problems?

[borayar at home.com]

SECTION I:  First things first.

I am using the name "borayar" to let you know that I am a
real person - not some computer robot.  (The name happens 
to be a derivative of my real name.

The purpose of this message is to generate discussion and 
interest in an existing plant and its new-found uses. This
plant has the potential to supplant eucalyptus as the first
choice of agroforestry to create forestry plantations.

Although this message is being posted to four newsgroups, 
I will be monitoring only the newsgroup "aus.environment.misc".
Please post any replys to that newsgroup.

This IS NOT a solicitation for investors!!!! Any replys 
asking to invest in this crop or to invest in its development
will be printed out in hardcopy and given to the company I 
refer to in the next section.

===============================================================
SECTION II:  Now for the meat.

I have spent the last two weeks reading and reviewing three 
documents produced by the Australian Government.  

These documents are :
1.  Industry Development - "Wood and Paper Industry 
    Strategy  (WAPIS)" (1995)
2.  "Plantations for Australia: The 2020 Vision" (1997) 
3.  Margules Report - "Investment Opportunities in the 
    Australian Forest Products Industry" (1998).

These documents can be found and downloaded from this URL.
    http://www.affa.gov.au/affa/subjects/forestry.html

I have been associated with a United States company for 
the past two months that has researched, and is currently 
promoting, an agricultural crop which has the following 
characteristics:
  This perennial, renewable crop is not toxic to the 
    environment and does not deplete water resources and
    soil nutrients (unlike some fast growing eucalyptus 
    with short harvesting cycles).
  It has fiber characteristics similar to hardwood chips.
  Its fiber can be processed by existing pulp and hardwood 
    mills to produce pulp, paper, particle board, and 
    similar products.
  It reaches maturity within two years of planting with
    an average Mean Annual Increment (MAI) value of 64.5 
    during this period. Eucalyps have an average value
    of 20 to 40 MAI. (see the Margules Report for the 
    definition of MAI)
  It produces an annual crop after reaching maturity with 
    each succeeding harvest having an MAI value of 129.0 
    cubic meters per hectare per year.  Again, eucalyps 
    have an average value of 20 to 40 MAI.
  Each annual harvest can produce 50+ tons of bone dry
    fiber per hectare. Eucalyps can produce only 4 to 7
    tons per hectare per year before being harvested.
  It can grow and survive in marginal soil and adverse
    weather conditions.
  It reduces soil erosion and soil contamination because
    it has few natural pests or diseases, requires little
    or no fertilizer to grow, does not require tilling 
    during growth to control undergrowth, and does not
    require replanting after harvest.
  It can sequester up to 25 tons of Carbon per hectare per 
    year. Eucalypts can sequester 7 to 17 tons of carbon 
    per hectare per year

Some major pulp and paper manufacturers in Japan and the 
United States have been convinced that this crop is better,
more economical, and safer to the environment than eucalyptus
trees and other popular forms of non-wood fibers (bagasse, 
wheat straw, bamboo, kenaf, hemp, etc.).  They have indicated
their willingness to support this replacement for wood fiber
if a reliable source of supply can be found..

There is no such thing as a "miracle crop"; but the use of 
this non-wood, tree-free crop (in conjunction with sound 
forestry management of existing resources and plantations)
can be a key answer to goals expressed in Australia's 2020
Vision for plantations and can play a major part in meeting
the ever-increasing global demand for pulp and paper products.

===============================================================
SECTION III:  What do you think?