# anyone know about new Chinese super fast tree?



## phinds (May 31, 2015)

Read a brief article in The Week, June 5, 2015, p36 that says:



> Chinese scientists have genetically engineered trees that grow up to 10 times faster than natural trees to feed the country's paper industry.



Can't find anything else about it on the Internet, which seems strange. The Week is normally reliable although they could be reporting something from an unreliable source. I don't know how extensive their fact-checking is since they are just reporting other people's stories.

I find a lot of stuff about various types of genetic experiments on trees but nothing about a 10X growth factor.

Anyone heard anything about this?


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## gman2431 (May 31, 2015)

Crazy. 

Maybe they can figure out how to make it burl and also grow 10x! Boy theyd be onto something then!


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## Schroedc (May 31, 2015)

Unfortunately I'd think they wouldn't be hardwoods, probably one of the fast growing pulp trees to start with. I'd love to see it done to the rosewoods but then we'd end up with much wider growth rings right?

I did find this article form The Guardian in 2012 about some Israeli developed trees being grown in China and a few other places. Looked like Poplar and Eucalyptus.

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/nov/15/gm-trees-bred-world-energy


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## Kevin (May 31, 2015)

You can't rush great. You can't hurry good. You can't even shortcut half-ass. You can quote me on that.


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## Schroedc (May 31, 2015)

Kevin said:


> You can't rush great. You can't hurry good. You can't even shortcut half-ass. You can quote me on that.



And I just did.

Reactions: Funny 1


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## phinds (May 31, 2015)

Schroedc said:


> Unfortunately I'd think they wouldn't be hardwoods, probably one of the fast growing pulp trees to start with. I'd love to see it done to the rosewoods but then we'd end up with much wider growth rings right?
> 
> I did find this article form The Guardian in 2012 about some Israeli developed trees being grown in China and a few other places. Looked like Poplar and Eucalyptus.
> 
> http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/nov/15/gm-trees-bred-world-energy


Yeah, I saw that and more, but nothing like a 10X growth rate.

Yes, I'm sure it will be a pulpwood. Maybe paulownia on steorids.


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## ripjack13 (May 31, 2015)

Pulp wood? For what? No one reads books anymore.....


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## ripjack13 (May 31, 2015)

What happens to the land after the trees are cut? Do they grind down the stumps and replant or just move on to a new patch of land?


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## phinds (May 31, 2015)

ripjack13 said:


> Pulp wood? For what? No one reads books anymore.....


They specifically talked about cardboard. You have any idea how many shipping boxes are used around the world every day?


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## phinds (Jun 1, 2015)

ripjack13 said:


> What happens to the land after the trees are cut? Do they grind down the stumps and replant or just move on to a new patch of land?


This brief article (one paragraph) didn't say


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## ripjack13 (Jun 1, 2015)

phinds said:


> They specifically talked about cardboard. You have any idea how many shipping boxes are used around the world every day?



I know it's a ridiculous ginormus amount. Or there wouldn't be so many shipping companies.


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