seedEnergy staff resources, experience and capability

The seedEnergy team has a combined total of over 70 years of experience in tree breeding and seed production.

Dr David Boomsma BSc For (Hons) PhD – General Manager David has 38 years of experience in plantation management, silviculture and research. His major research interests lie in forests soils and forest tree nutrition as well as forest tree improvement. He has an extensive publication record in the areas of forest soil science, tree breeding and deployment. He has significant experience in seed orchard management and nursery production of both seedlings and cuttings. He has some first hand experience of pine plantation management in New Zealand, south-eastern United States as well as China and Chile. He is located in the south-east of South Australia where the major regional economic driver is plantation forestry with Radiata Pine and Tasmanian Blue-gum. He worked for ForestrySA for 20 years as a research forester including 10 years as the executive officer for the STBA. He was Chief Executive Officer of the STBA for a further 10 years before establishing seedEnergy. Publications

Andrew Cameron – Manager Pine Seed Production Andy has 30 years of experience in all aspects of silvicultural and saw milling research for P. radiata. Seed orchard management and breeding operations for this key species were the focus of his work with ForestrySA for 18 years in South Australia. His expertise was used in research project management and seed production. He worked for the STBA for 6 years as Pine Seed Production Manager and breeding trial manager before joining seedEnergy. He currently manages both open (OP) and control pollinated (CP) seed production for Radiata Pine for seedEnergy. Publications

Peter Gore BSc – Manager Eucalypt Seed Production Peter has 20 years of experience in the breeding and seed production of eucalypt species. He was manager of the Southern Tree Breeding Association's (STBA) Australian E. globulus and E. nitens breeding programs for five years before applying his expertise to managing STBA's eucalypt seed production program. He has a profound knowledge of the intricacies of eucalypt reproductive biology and pollination techniques. He designed and implemented the E. globulus Mass Supplementary Pollination (MSP) seed production system for STBA and seedEnergy. Located on the campus of the University of Tasmania, he maintains close linkages with research scientists and students via the Cooperative Research Centre for Forestry. He has publications on breeding and seed production strategies, reproductive biology and quality control in seed production systems. Located on the campus of the University of Tasmania, he maintains close linkages with research scientists and students. Publications

Dr Cameron Spurr BAgSc (Hons) PhD – Technical Manager Cameron has worked continuously in the Australian seed industry for 14 years. This involvement began with a family seed business, specialising in vegetable, flower and forestry seeds. In this role Cameron contributed to the commercial development of techniques for seed preparation and grading that provided the basis for field establishment of Pyrethrum tanacetum, now a major field crop in Tasmania, and novel seed preparation and grading technologies to maximise seed quality in Eucalyptus and Pinus radiata. Cameron is currently Managing Director of seedPurity P/L, a company dedicated to providing innovative, high quality seed cleaning, grading and testing services to vegetable and forestry seed producers. Cameron’s responsibilities within seedEnergy include management of research projects and other technical aspects affecting productivity as well management of Eucalyptus dunnii seed production. Publications

Oliver Fearman – Technical Officer After completing a Bachelor of Science majoring in Botany and Zoology at the University of Tasmania (Hobart) in 2003, Oliver spent a year working on various horticultural crops around Tasmania with HortForce. Since joining SeedEnergy in 2005, he has been assisting in the establishment, management and harvesting of the companies seed orchards and progeny trials.

Boomsma, D.B. (1979). Nitrogen transformations and gaseous losses following fertilization of a slash pine plantation. Ph.D.Dissert. University of Florida, Gainesville. 197 pp.

Boomsma, D.B. & Pritchett, W.L. (1979). Nitrogen losses from urea, ammonium sulphate and ammonium nitrate applications to slash pine plantation. Soil and Crop Sci.Soc.Fla.Proc.39: 19-23.

Boardman, R., Boomsma, D.B., Zed, P.G. & Cellier, K.M. (1979). Maintaining plantation productivity with radiata pine in South Australia. Abstract in Proc.Impact of Intensive Harvesting on Forest Nutrient Cycling. State University of New York, Syracuse, New York.

Boomsma, D.B. & Burger, J.A. (1980). Factors affecting nitrogen mineralization in an acid sandy forest soil. pp 250-258. Proc.Workshop on Managing Nitrogen Economies and Natural and Man-made Forest Ecosystems. (R.A. Rummery & F.J.Hingston, eds.). CSIRO Division Land Resources Management.

Boardman, R & Boomsma, D.B. (1980). Herbicides for controlling weeds in forestry operations in South Australia. Sect.3, pp 5. Herbicides for Weed Control in South Australia. (P.M. Kloot, ed.).

Boomsma, D.B, Boardman, R. & Cotterill, P.P. (1981). Genotype x cultural interactions in Pinus radiata; investigations in South Australia. pp 85-99. Combined meeting, Research Working Groups 1 and 3, Traralgon, Victoria.

Cotterill, P.P., Boomsma, D.B., Boardman, R. & Pawsey, C. (1981). The first generation of open-pollinated progeny testing of Pinus radiata in the southeast of South Australia. pp 6. 7th meeting, Research Working Group 1, Traralgon, Victoria.

Boomsma, D.B. (1982). Field inoculation of a radiata pine nursery with Rhizopogon luteolus. Paper to establishment Workshop, Research Working Group 5, Mount Gambier.

Boomsma, D.B. & Karjalainen, U. (1982). Control of grasses, perennial weeds and bracken fern. Part I and II. Establishment Workshop, Research Working Group 5, Mount Gambier.

Cellier, K.M., Boardman, R., Boomsma, D.B. & Zed, P.G. (1985). Response of Pinus radiata D.Don to various silvicultural treatments on adjacent first- and second-rotation sites near Tantanoola, South Australia. I. Establishment and growth up to age 7 years. Aust. For. Res. 15:431-447.

Boomsma, D.B. (1988). Weed control strategies on commercialised public land - are they worthwhile? pp 28-35. Weeds on Public Land - An Action Plan for Today. (R.G. Richardson, ed.). Proc. Symposium Monash, Vic.

Boomsma, D.B., Boardman, R. (1988). Increasing the resource base in the Green Triangle Region. Appita Mini-Conf., Mount Gambier, S.A.

Karjalainen, U. & Boomsma, D.B. (1989). Bracken fern control for radiata pine plantations in South Australia. Aust. For. 52 (1): 37-44.

Boomsma, D.B. (1989). Prospectus for membership in the Southern Tree Breeding Association.

Dutkowski, G.W. & Boomsma, D.B. (1989). Bracken control and tree growth in plantations of radiata pine in the lower south east of South Australia. In: Bracken Biology and Management (Eds. J.A. Thompson & R.T. Smith). Papers from an International Conference, Sydney, Aust.

Boomsma, D.B. (1989). The range of soils available for plantations in the south east of South Australia and southwestern Victoria. Workshop, Aust.Soc.Soil Sci. Creswick, Victoria.

Boomsma, D.B. & Hunter, I.R. (1990). Effects of water, Nutrients and their Interactions on Tree Growth and Plantation Forest Management Practices in Australasia: A Review. For. Ecol. Manage. 30: 455-476.

Boomsma, D.B. and White, T.L. (1992). Australia – Wide Realised Gains from Mass Selection of Radiata Pine for Diameter, Stem and Branch Quality. Tech.Rep. TR92-03, Southern tree Breeding Association, Mount Gambier.

White, T.L., Rout, A.F., Boomsma, D.B. and Dutkowski, G.W. 1992(a). Predicted breeding values of 1213 first-generation parents. Tech.Rep. TR92-02, Southern Tree Breeding Association, Mount Gambier.

White, T.L., Boomsma, D.B. and Rout, A.F. 1992(b). STBA breeding value predictions for 1152 second-generation selections of radiata pine. Tech.Rep. TR92-04, Southern Tree Breeding Association, Mount Gambier.

White, T.L., Matheson, A.C., Boomsma, D.B. and Rout, A.F. 1992(c). Logistics, costs and genetic gains of five options of nucleus breeding strategies. Tech.Rep. TR92-01, Southern Tree Breeding Association, Mount Gambier.

Boomsma, D.B. (1993). Working Plan for radiata pine breeding. Tech.Rep. TR93-05. Southern Tree Breeding Association, Mount Gambier.

Duryea M.L. and Boomsma D.B. (1993). Cultural practices for production of radiata pine cuttings in Australia. In proceedings IUFRO / AFOCEL symposium, Mass Production Technology for Genetically Improved Fast Growing Forest Tree Species, Bordeaux, France p355-361.

Boomsma, D.B. (1996). Prospects for future plantations. In Proc. Australian Forest Growers Conference, Farm Forestry and Plantations - Investing in Future Wood Supply. Mount Gambier, 9-12 September 1996.

Boomsma, D.B. (1997). Development of the Southern Tree Breeding Association radiata pine breeding population. Pp.211-216 in Burdon, R.D.; Moore, J.M. (Ed.) “IUFRO ’97 Genetics of Radiata Pine”. Proc. of NZFRI - IUFRO Conference 1-4 December, Rotorua, New Zealand. FRI Bulletin No.203.

Boomsma, D. B., Cellier, K.M., McGuire, D.O., Nethercott, K.H., Sedgley, J.H. & Nambiar, E.K.S. (1997). Omission of nitrogen fertilizer on second rotation sites: effects on Pinus radiata growth in southern Australia. Aust. For. 60 (4): 240-250.

Tibbits, W.N., Boomsma, D.B. and Jarvis, S.F. (1997). Distribution, biology, genetics and improvement programs for Eucalyptus globulus and Eucalyptus nitens around the world. Paper presented to 24th Southern Forest Tree Improvement Conference, 9-12 June 1997, Orlando, Florida, USA.

White, T.L., Matheson, A.C., Cotterill, P.P., Johnson, R.G., Rout, A.F. and Boomsma, D.B. (1999). A nucleus breeding plan for radiata pine in Australia. Silvae Genetica, 48, 3-4: 122-133.

Vaillancourt, R. E., Boomsma, D. B. and Nicolle, D. (2000). A Disjunct Population of Eucalyptus globulus ssp. bicostata from South Australia. Trans. Roy. Soc. S. Aust., 125 (1).

Publications for Cameron Spurr

Geard, A., Spurr, C. J. and Brown, P.H. (2005) Embryo Development and Time of Cutting in Cool Temperate Carrot Seed Crops. International Society for Seed Science Research CABI Publications (in press).

Nair, T. S., Wilson, S. and Spurr, C. J. (2005) Dormancy and Germination in Eucalyptus globulus seeds. International Society for Seed Science Research CABI Publications (in press).

Tajbakhsh, M. Gracie, A.J., Donovan, N., Brown, P.H., Spurr, C. J. and Clark, R.J. (2005). The use of hydro-priming to improve onion (Allium cepa L.) seed lot performance. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture (in press).

Tajbakhsh, M., Brown, P. H., Gracie, A. J., Spurr, C. J., Donovan, N. and Clark, R. J. ‘Mitigation of stunted root abnormality in onion (Allium cepa L.) using seed priming treatments’, Seed Science and Technology, 32 683-692 (2004).

Spurr, C, Fulton, DA, Brown, PH, Clark, RJ, ‘Changes in Seed Yield and Quality with Maturity in Onion (Allium cepa L., cv. ‘Early Cream Gold’)’, Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science, 188 (4) 275-280 (2002).

Spurr, C. J., Mendham, N. J., Brown, PH, (2003) ‘The effects and management of Rutherglen Bugs (N. vinitor Bergroth) in Australian carrot seed crops’, 34th Australian Entomological Society / 6th Invertebrate and Biodiversity Conservation Combined Conference, Hobart, Tasmania. Awarded Best Student Presentation.

Spurr, C. J., Mendham, N. J. and Brown, P. H. (2001) The Effect of Rutherglen Bug (Nysius vinitor) on Yield and Quality of Hybrid Carrot Seed. Proceedings of the 10th Australian Agronomy Conference, Hobart, Tasmania.

Cover, L., Spurr, C. J. and Wilson, S. (2006) Effect of Time of Planting and Seed Pre-treatment on Field Establishment of Echinacea angustifolia.

Gracie, A. J., Brown, P. H., Spurr, C. J. and Mendham, N. (2002) Identification of Factors Limiting Seed Yield in Radicchio Crops in Tasmania.