¶ PINT (Program for Identifying NurseryTrees)
| Company | University of South Australia |
| Website | https://fwpa.com.au/research/operational-transition-of-pint-software/ |
| Category | Nursery & Establishment › Remote sensing & mapping |
nurseries, pheModeltyping, and early tree assessment.
¶ Overview
PINT, the Program for Identifying Nursery Trees, is a software tool developed to support the quality assessment and grading of seedlings in forestry nursery operations through systematic identification and classification of nursery stock characteristics. The program assists nursery managers and technicians in applying consistent, objective criteria to evaluate seedlings prior to despatch for field planting, replacing or supplementing subjective visual assessments that can introduce variability across different assessors and shifts. PINT typically works against a set of species-specific morphological standards — including height, root collar diameter, shoot-to-root ratio, and defect criteria such as j-rooting, double leaders, or stem deformity — to classify individual seedlings or sample batches as acceptable, marginal, or reject grade. By standardising the assessment process, PINT helps nurseries reduce the proportion of substandard stock reaching planting crews, which is directly linked to improved field survival rates and plantation stocking outcomes. In Australian plantation forestry, where millions of radiata pine, eucalypt, and other species seedlings are produced annually for replanting after harvest, maintaining consistent seedling quality across the nursery production cycle is critical to achieving the stocking and survival targets that underpin plantation productivity projections. The program may be used in conjunction with automated measurement equipment such as digital callipers, height gauges, and in more advanced implementations, machine vision systems that can rapidly assess seedling morphology across entire tray batches. PINT-type tools also generate records that support traceability of seedling batches from nursery production through to field planting, enabling post-planting survival audits to be correlated with nursery quality data and feeding into continuous improvement of both nursery production and field planting practices.
¶ Assessment
Has potential for high-quality seedling selection, impacts are long-term and indirect. Doesnt directly reduce operational hazards or wildfire risks.
¶ Details
| Field | Value |
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| Company | University of South Australia |