Early growth and survival of Eucalyptus pellita provenances in a range of tropical environments,compared with E. grandis,E. urophylla and Acacia mangium

Provenance/family trials of Eucalyptus pellita F. Muell were established at three seasonally-dry tropical sites in northern Australia (two in north Queensland and one on Melville Island in the Northern Territory), and at Luasong, a tropical site with year-round high rainfall and humidity in Sabah, Malaysia. After 2–3 years, it was clear that New Guinea provenances outperformed Queensland provenances in their survival, growth and form, and in their crown health, in the humid tropical environment of Luasong. New Guinea provenances were also clearly superior to Queensland provenances in their growth and form at Melville Island, but less clearly so at Cardwell, Queensland. Among Queensland provenances, Helenvale and Kuranda were superior to the more northerly Cape York provenances, Tozers Gap and Lankelly Creek, while there was little difference between the two New Guinea provenances tested, Bupul-Muting (Irian Jaya) and Keru (Papua New Guinea). Significant differences in growth traits, form and survival were demonstrated between families within provenances. In a species/provenance trial at Luasong, E. pellita displayed better growth and survival than tropical provenances of E. grandis and E. urophylla, but was inferior in growth and crown health to Acacia mangium.