Three new books on forest plantation development

KOTA KINABALU (Dec 9): The Sabah Forestry Department has announced the publication of three new books related to forest plantation development, namely “Guidelines for Selecting Candidate Plus Trees (CPT) for Forest Plantation Species”, “Photo Collection of Candidate Plus Trees (CPT) of Local Forest Plantation Species in Sabah”, and “Photo Collection of Candidate Plus Trees (CPT) of Exotic Forest Plantation Species in Sabah”. These publications mark another significant step in strengthening the management of tree genetic resources to support the advancement of the state’s forest plantation sector.

The Chief Conservator of Forests, Datuk Frederick Kugan, emphasized that the forest plantation sector continues to be a key pillar in enhancing Sabah’s timber industry. In addition to providing a sustainable source of raw materials, this sector also serves as a driver of the state’s economic growth and contributes to improving the well-being of the people.

In line with the Sabah Forest Plantation Development Plan 2022–2036, the State Government is committed to enhance the forest plantation establishment — a strategy that supports the aspirations of the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) Development Plan to ensure that state development progresses in balance with environmental sustainability.

The selection of Candidate Plus Trees (CPT) is an important scientific approach in tree breeding programme.

This method evaluates superior phenotypic traits, such as growth rate, stem form, disease resistance, and fruit production to ensure the genetic quality of planting materials.

The three newly published books detail the guidelines for CPT selection and present visual collections and scientific information on local and exotic species with high potential for forest plantation development in Sabah.

This documentation has been produced to support the generation of high-quality planting materials for sustainable use in the plantation industry.

These publications not only provide comprehensive references for researchers, estate managers, and stakeholders, but also reflect the Sabah Forestry Department’s commitment to strengthening the development of tree genetic resources through sustainable and high-impact approaches for the long-term resilience of the forest plantation sector.

The publication of these three books was funded through the allocation of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability under the Twelfth Malaysia Plan (RMK-12) through the project “Programme to Enhance the Production and Productivity of Seed Supply Through Intensive Selection of Candidate Plus Trees (CPT)”. The books were produced by the Acting Head, Forest Plantation Programme of the Forest Research Centre, Kuina Kimjus, together with other co-authors, namely Clary Sinawat, Esterlinda Sapindal, Mohd. Zarul Damit, Nurul Izwana Sarif, Maria Ajik and Mohd Jumri Abdul Hamid, with support from the staff of Tree Improvement Section. The books will be distributed to various forestry stakeholders, and will be available online too.