20 While GS 211 offers superior growth and promises better financial returns, the hybrid has a lower density than E. smithii, hence the lower premium compared to E. smithii – E. smithii (595 kg m3) versus GS 211 density (532 kg m-3). The low density is a concern, especially to the main NCT customers in Asia as the wood chips must be transported over long distances and therefore the need for maximizing stowage capacity is a priority. Asian markets account for up to 63% of NCT’s E. smithii market share. The NCT Asians markets have however, in principle, agreed to allow a percentage of GS 211 to be mixed into E. smithii shipments. Ongoing efforts to find E. grandis x E. smithii hybrids with a high density have been successful. Field and laboratory surveys have confirmed that the hybrid B270 has a higher wood density (622 kg m-3) than E. smithii. Although B270’s growth performance is significantly lower than that of GS 211, it is comparable to E. smithii on ‘good’ E. smithii sites but better than E. smithii on sites considered marginal for E. smithii (Figure 3). B270 is a very good alternative to E. smithii on marginal sites and sites previously limited by Phytophthora. B270 is not commercially available yet but projections of the economic benefits of growing the hybrid are presented below (Table 3 and 4). The premium paid for B270 will be similar to that of E. smithii (R100/tonne) since the clone has a high density. All yield figures (tonnes/ha) are estimates based on B270’s performance in research trials. Figure 2: Yield of B270 versus E.Smithii in 8-year-old line trials (Commondale and Ingwe sites marginal for E.Smithii
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