This document discusses the use of biotechnologies to produce clonal teak planting materials for smallholder farmers. It notes that while teak is an important plantation species, smallholder farmers currently comprise a small percentage of teak production due to challenges like lack of capital and access to quality planting stock. The document then describes a plant tissue culture facility that produces over 1.5 million clonal teak plantlets per year with improved traits from selected mother plants. Field trials show clonal teak outperforms seed-derived trees. The document concludes that clonal teak production allows smallholders to diversify crops and income sources while reducing risks and supporting food security.

1. Use of biotechnologies for producing
CLONAL TEAK planting materials for
smallholders
Doreen K. S. Goh
Sabah Foundation Group
Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Malaysia
FAO Regional Meeting on Agricultural
Biotechnologies in Sustainable Food Systems and
Nutrition in Asia-Pacific
11/09/2017-13/09/2017 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

2. Background on Teak Planting by Smallholders
With increasing market demand, smallholder production is a
potentially important source of teak supply for the industry
Teak is a high value plantation species with about 4.3 million ha
established across the world – 83% found in Asia primarily in India,
Indonesia and Myanmar
Smallholder farmer planting comprises only 19% in Asia, 31% in Central
America and 34% in South America

3. Source: Roshetko and Perdana1, 2017
Species composition of smallholder teak systems
in Central Java

4. Impediments to smallholder teak
production:-
• Lack of capital to invest in teak planting
• Limited access to market information/linkages
• High transaction costs for timber merchants
• Unfavorable policies
• Inability to wait duration of a teak rotation before returns
• Low quality timber due to poor silviculture and genetics

5. Teak plantations have traditionally
been established from seeds

6. •High variability among individuals, even when
genetically related, affecting traits of major
economical importance; and, such as…..
• Insufficient availability;
•Highly unpredictable and generally low
seed germination rates (20 – 30%);
•A lack of information regarding the genetic
control of most of the economically-important
traits and of the genetic gain that can be
expected from sexual reproduction (seeds);
LIMITATIONS OF USING SEEDS -

7. DIAMETER
GROWTH
BOLE SHAPE
WOOD CHARACTERISTICS

8. Plant Tissue Culture Facility
Est. 1992 - Present

9. R & D on TEAK - focusing on selected mother plants with
outstanding qualities for higher yield: Straightness, minimal
branching, high heartwood/sapwood content, pest and
disease resistance, vigorous/fast growth
Origin of selected
mother plants -
SOLOMON ISLAND
Sample from 10-yr old
clone growing under
Sabah conditions

10. Annual production capacity of more than 1.5
millions clonal plants

11. Worldwide exportation of clonal teak
plantlets to countries in 4 continents
TM
Ivory Coast
Gabon
Mexico
Nicaragua
Cambodia

12. Results from plantation at age 9 years in Matto Grosso, Brazil, indicate that clonal
teak has outperformed seed-derived trees by 50% in total volume and 48% in
DBH, both under the same site and management conditions, indicating the
possibility to undertake a final harvest between 15-18 years.
Source:
Proteca.com.br

13. Agroforestry with Clonal Teak
- Creating value for smallholders -

14. clones and local ones were derived
More predictable and higher returns to smallholders at
shorter rotations can be achieved
West Java, Indonesia

15. At age 7 years

16. Maranta arudinacea (Arrowroot) planted under
clonal teak trees in Garut, Indonesia

17. Intercropping cash crops with clonal teak for diversified
land use will also yield higher returns
Desmonium Nitrogen-fixing
cover crop to enrich soils
Intercropping with coffee and banana,
French Guyane

18. Intercropping with rubber to optimize
land use and returns, Ivory Coast

19. Agro-pastoral setting with clonal teak, Ecuador

20. Mixed planting of cash crops with clonal
teak by smallholder in Sabah

21. Border planting of Oil Palm plantation with
clonal Teak in Sabah

22. CONCLUSIONS
• Teak is relatively simple to grow in comparison with other
commercial hardwood species.
• Given the growing demand for teak wood and the likelihood
that natural forest sources will soon be unable to meet it,
governments should support teak planting on small farms
and plantations where it is viable.
• Smallholder teak systems using selected clonal planting
materials allow farmers to diversify farm production with
mixed crops, reduce risk, support food security and
generate income.
• Through the application of biotechnologies, planting materials with
selected qualities- shorter rotation, improved wood quality and yield,
and reduced losses - is achievable for smallholders plantations and can
lead to significant improvement of rural livelihood.

23. Thank you