PhD project
Breeding for structural-quality corewood to reduce rotation length
Background
There is substantial variation of wood properties within a species, both between- and within-trees. Part of this variability is explained by environmental conditions (including both site characteristics and silvicultural management); another part is explained by genetic variability.
Radiata pine is the main commercial plantation forest species in New Zealand. The New Zealand radiata pine breeding programme started in the early 1950s and currently includes growth, tree form, branching characteristics, basic density and wood stiffness in its breeding objective. Wood properties change from pith-to-bark and from the base of trees to their top. These changes appear to be under genetic control. It is possible to reduce rotation age if we can select trees that express better wood properties earlier in their life.
The project
The NZ School of Forestry at the University of Canterbury (UC) is offering a 3-year PhD project to investigate wood quality trajectories in elite breeding material. The project is jointly funded by the NZ School of Forestry and the Radiata Pine Breeding Company (RPBC). The student will work closely with RPBC, which specialises in breeding elite radiata pine germplasm for New Zealand and Australian forest owners. The student will work with a research team led by Professor Luis Apiolaza, Associate Professor Clemens Altaner, Dr Monika Sharma, and Professor Michael Hayes from UC and Dr Mark Paget from RPBC.
The research project will include:
- Gathering data on pith to bark profiles using acoustic tools.
- Developing alternative approaches to characterise physical/chemical wood properties and their variability
- Combining genomic and phenotypic data from the operational NZ Radiata Pine Breeding Company programme.
- Explore the effect of environmental factors on the wood quality trajectories for different genotypes.
Candidate notes
The ideal applicant will have a GPA of 7.0 (A-) or higher, a four-year bachelor degree with first class honours or a Master’s degree in forestry with a strong quantitative genetics background, or ability to learn quantitative genetics and data analysis in relation to tree breeding. Candidates must have a valid driver’s licence and be willing to undertake both data analysis, programming and lab work.
The scholarship is available from 1 October 2025 (start date negotiable). Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.
Applications must include:
- A full Curriculum Vitae, including your university transcript (i.e. list of grades for all).
- The names of at least two people who can act as referees.
- A statement of your research interests and when you could begin your PhD research.
- You must meet the eligibility criteria to enrol in UC’s Doctor of Philosophy programme.
The University of Canterbury is located in Christchurch, the largest city in the beautiful
South Island of Aotearoa | New Zealand. The city’s central location in the South Island gives easy access to both coasts as well as the Southern Alps and a range of other unique environments.
Funding notes
The available scholarship covers full university fees and a stipend of NZ$34,000 p.a. for three years.
Contact
Prof Luis A. Apiolaza, New Zealand School of Forestry, University of Canterbury
E-mail: luis.apiolaza@canterbury.ac.nz
Currently we are particularly interested in:
- Phenotyping radiata pine for pulp and bioenergy relevant wood quality traits
- Quality control of naturally durable timber through grading
- Utilisation of high-density timber by-products
- Relationship between soil properties and drying defects of eucalypts
- Controlling starch content of sapwood to improve borer resistance
- NZ’s perception to preservative treated timber
- Wood properties of NZ native timbers
- Understanding self-pruning (cladoptosis) in trees (reducing knots in timber)
- …
Contact: Clemens Altaner
Honours, Master and PhD projects are available. Current research topics are:
- Economically and environmentally sustainable engineered wood product development
- Natural disaster-resilient timber building systems
- Long-term structural behaviour of long-span timber-based floor systems
- Small-scale engineered wood product manufacturing
- Mass timber connection design for structural performance, durability, disassembly, and adaptability.
Contact
